Descendants: Something Good This Way Comes
by chawk1993
Summary: A week after his coronation, Ben is forced to send the VKs back to the Isle of the Lost when Audrey and Chad start a rumor. A week later, the VKs are allowed back into Auradon. They also meet a new ally in a secret VK, Gia, the unacknowledged daughter of Gaston who has resided in Auradon since birth. Tensions will rise and alliances will break as the VKs navigate their new lives.
1. Misunderstood

**A/N:** _Hey guys! This is my first Descendants fic. I'm a young adult who shouldn't have loved the movie as much as I do. This is more or less a sequel to the film. The story is going to be really, really long with long chapters but I hope you all enjoy this anyway. I have written a few chapters already but I will only publish chapters three at a time. I've just finished editing the first three chapters and they will be up tonight (Australian time as I live in Australia). I have a MASSIVE plan this year for all my unfinished fics for other fandoms so it might take me a while to post more chapters up. Updates will be irregular and won't be everyday. Also, please note that if you find any plot points and/or characters that are similar to other fanfics in this fandom, it is purely coincidental. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Descendants: Something Good This Way Comes._

* * *

 _ **Descendants: Something Good This Way Comes**_

* * *

 **Chapter One: Misunderstood**

* * *

Ben had always known that he would become king. He just didn't expect it to be when he turned sixteen. He had always said that he had the poster parents for all things good. As much as he loved them, they could be a bit… overbearing, even at the best of times. Before his coronation, they had asked so much of him. While he understood where they had been coming from, he didn't want to rule Auradon like they had where everything had to be perfect.

Belle and Beast had ruled for just over twenty years and were greatly beloved by almost everyone in Auradon. They were wise and merciful and just.

Before Ben had been born, Beast had come up with the law that the heir apparent would become monarch at sixteen, regardless if the child were male or female. Beast and Belle loved their son more then anything in the kingdom and it had been obvious from the very start that Ben was very much like his mother.

Ben was kind, didn't have his father's temper and was well, benevolent. He was best known for seeing the goodness in people and treating everyone, now matter if they were heroes or villains like equals. His one belief: everybody deserved a chance to redeem themselves.

Staring out of his bedroom window, Ben looked across at the recently repaired barrier that held the Isle of the Lost. The young king's mind drifted to his new girlfriend Mal, the daughter of Auradon's greatest enemy, Maleficent. The evil fairy had turned herself into a lizard upon losing her stare-off with her daughter.

The evil fairy's lizard form was a reminder of how much love she had had in her heart. It was very little, even when it came to her daughter. The stare-off had occurred at Ben's coronation two weeks earlier. A smile formed on his face before it quickly vanished to form an expression of sadness.

Mal and her friends had been sent back to the Isle of the Lost the week before when Ben's ex-girlfriend, Audrey and her new boyfriend, Chad Charming had spread a rumor about the formerly evil quartet. Almost everyone in Auradon had believed the rumor and it had started a witch-hunt of sorts. It hurt as Ben had become close to all of them but he had to do what he needed to even if it was against his better judgment and of course; his heart. Sending them back had pained him especially since it would separate him from Mal.

Ben had never loved anyone else as much as he loved Mal. He might have only known her six weeks but he knew she was definitely the one for him. She was better then Audrey on so many levels and she had taught him so much. He knew some day; he might make her his queen but that was a very _long_ way off.

He sighed as the sound of Mal's infectious laughter bounced around inside his skull.

" _Ben?"_

Ben turned to see his mother standing a few steps away from him.

Belle could see her son was distracted. She knew he was missing Mal and her villain friends. She gave him a small smile, hoping it would settle him. "She's here." She said with a bright smile.

Ben didn't have to be told twice. He quickly followed Belle from the room and down towards the front doors of the castle.

* * *

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos all sat miserably in the tiny space they shared with their parents. They missed Auradon. They wanted to be back with their hero friends and doing things that they _actually_ enjoyed.

Carlos wanted to be back with his newfound canine friend Dude, the Auradon Prep campus mutt and playing Tourney with Jay and Ben, eating chocolate and fixing things as well as spending time with Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter.

Evie wanted to be back giving fashion advice to Mulan's daughter Lonnie and Jane, hanging out with her boyfriend Doug and of course, passing chemistry and fashion design.

Jay wanted to be back playing Tourney with the boys and flirting with the girls. He missed the pizza and the bragging rights he got for becoming the Auradon Fighting Knights' MVP (Most Valuable Player).

Mal wanted nothing more then to be back in Ben's arms. She missed hearing his laughter and teasing and listening to his stories. Heck, she even missed the attempts he made to kiss her.

The Isle of the Lost wasn't exactly known for its technological advances. It had virtually no phone reception and Wi-Fi didn't exist. The newest television anyone had was about eleven years old and terribly small. Computers were relatively new to the island but it didn't help without any Wi-Fi connectivity. The use of any form of Internet usage was only given on special occasions from Auradon.

" _Mal?"_

Mal looked up to see Evie's mother, the Evil Queen watching her in concern.

Queen Grimhilde or the Evil Queen as she was widely known, had actually made an effort to be a good parent (or as good as any villain parent could be) to her daughter. Jafar, Maleficent and Cruella had all treated their children like slaves.

"You okay, dear?"

"Yeah," Mal said, her voice a few levels above a whisper. "Never better, EQ."

Evil Queen sighed and sat down next to her. "Are you thinking about that king of yours?"

Mal could feel her eyes water but wiped the tears away before they could form. The very mention of Ben made her want to curl up and cry herself to sleep. She looked at Evil Queen, her eyes wide, almost pleading.

"Evie told me." Evil Queen told her. "Love is a strange thing, Mal." She smiled as if remembering some long lost memory.

"I thought Evie might tell you," Mal admitted, clenching her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned white under the protection of her fingerless gloves. "Sounds like something she would do."

Evie sat nearby listening but didn't speak up. She was too miserable about not being with Doug and doing the things she loved back in Auradon to respond.

"I understand that Ben had to do what he needed to for his people but…" Mal couldn't bring herself to finish. It hurt too much. Being separated from Ben was like being separated from her friends but fifty times worse. Was this truly what a broken heart felt like?

Evil Queen looked at her sympathetically. "Well if you want to talk, I'm here, okay?"

Mal nodded as Evil Queen got up and went back to what she had been doing.

Mal looked over to see Jay and Carlos playing some boring card game that she didn't recognize. She knew Evie was watching her. "Don't E," she groaned. "I know what you're thinking."

"Do you?" Evie replied sounding bored. "What _was_ I thinking?"

"I know that you're trying to convince me that this is for the best but I don't believe that."

Evie snorted. "That _isn't_ what I was thinking."

"What _were_ you thinking, Ev?" Jay asked looking over briefly from his card game with Carlos.

"I was thinking that we have to stop this." Evie stood up.

"Stop what, E?" Mal asked. "The residents of Auradon spoke up. It doesn't matter that we stopped my mother from destroying their home and livelihoods. To them, we are _still_ as bad as she is."

Evie looked at her, her eyes shining sadly. "I know, Mal, but Ben could have stopped them from wanting us out."

Mal knew as much as Evie did that Ben wasn't to blame for their current exile. He was _pressured_ into booting them home.

"We need to show the people that we aren't who our parents raised us to be. Screw that rumor." There was a defiant edge to Evie's voice.

The rumor she was referring to was the most ridiculous of accusations.

They were accused of plotting to bring down Ben so that they could use him to get Fairy Godmother's wand to free their parents from their island prison. Like _that_ hadn't already been done before. Yes, they had _tried_ to steal the wand for Maleficent but they had given up their villainous traits in exchange for forgiveness. They were remorseful for everything they had done. Shouldn't that have been enough? Plus, couldn't Chad and Audrey come up with an _original_ rumor instead of recycling something that had happened in the past?

There was no doubt in the minds of the VKs that Audrey had been planning all of this so she could get back at Mal for 'stealing' Ben away from her. She was _that_ spiteful and so clearly jealous of how Mal made Ben feel.

Mal remembered Ben confessing to her that even after the love potion had worn off, his feelings for her were as true as they came. She knew Ben wasn't stupid enough to go back to Audrey. He had more brains then Chad did who was just as self-absorbed and vain as Audrey was. It was clear, from the way Ben had been talking that Belle and Beast hadn't been Audrey's biggest fans when he'd been dating her.

Mal wondered what kind of relationship Belle and Beast had with Audrey's parents. A thought suddenly came to her. Maybe, just maybe, they thought Aurora and Philip were just like their daughter. Like Evil Queen always said, _'The poison apple doesn't fall far from the tree.'_

"What can we do?" Carlos asked as he finally looked up from his game with Jay. "The only one that can allow us back into Auradon is Ben." He turned to Mal. "Has he made contact with you?"

Mal wanted to say yes but her heart told her to tell the truth. "No, he hasn't. "

Everybody was silent. They wished they had a time machine so they could go back in time and stop the rumor from being started. They hated being back in familiar territory where they had only experienced pain. It also pained them to see so many familiar faces that _hated_ them as they hated their parents.

Mal looked down at Ben's signet ring that still sat on her left index finger. He had told her to keep it as a way of remembering him. She sighed, holding back a series of sobs. She wanted nothing more then to be back where she felt safe and where Ben could just hold her.

Carlos looked sadly over at her. Ben had shown him dogs weren't vicious, rabid pack animals like Cruella had told him. He had come to love Dude. He still couldn't believe that he had actually stood up to his mother. He was still adjusting to the fearful looks Cruella was now giving him. Apparently, she didn't like being told what to do or when to cork it.

Jay didn't move or say anything. He was too distraught over everything he had worked so hard to achieve and had lost so quickly. He hated feeling like he was worthless. He now knew how Aladdin must have felt while he'd been a street rat.

Evie watched Mal twirl Ben's ring around her finger. The Evil Queen's daughter was no dummy. Of their little group of outcasts, she was the love and beauty expert. She knew Mal's every thought was Ben. Thinking back to the aftermath of Ben's coronation, Evie couldn't remember a time when Mal had been so happy.

Having spent most of the after-party with Doug and the boys, Evie had watched from the sidelines as Mal had stayed at Ben's side most of the night. It was a sight that had to seen to be believed: a son born to a set of heroes and a daughter of a villain very much in love. Evie had wanted to cry at the sight. That was evidence that villainous offspring could be given a second chance and become friends or in Mal's case, become romantically involved with a hero's child.

Before their adventure in Auradon, the VKs had thought that they would become their parents.

Jay had always thought he would become as powerful as his father but without the magical snake staff and the talking parrot who hated crackers. Turned out, he was anything but powerful. Sure, he was crafty and sneaky but he didn't know the tricks of the trade when it came to being all out evil. He didn't want to know any of it now. Auradon had been _too_ good to him.

Evie had always believed she would become as vain and as air-headed as her mother. Needless to say, Mal had been correct about one thing. She wasn't like her mother at all. She was smart and didn't need to act dumb to get the guy of her dreams. Doug had liked her just the way she was.

Carlos thought he would become as hating of dogs as his mother. As it turned out, he had been fearful of dogs, having not been raised around them. After Ben had introduced him to Dude, Carlos had come to realize that his mother had been very wrong about dogs. He figured she had only been using that as an excuse to ensure he didn't become soft and sympathetic towards them. Clearly, it hadn't worked the way Cruella had thought it would.

Since their return, the kids' parents (minus Maleficent) had done everything humanly possible to suck up to their children.

Evie had given her mother a sour look for even trying to get in her good books.

Carlos had rolled his eyes and walked off when his mother had begged for forgiveness. Plus she had given him frightened looks.

Jay had ignored his father's pleading and attempts to bribe him into doing his bidding.

Finally, the villains had merely given up, reverting back to sulking and snapping at each other for no apparent reason.

The kids had simply come to the conclusion that their parents weren't going to change their wicked ways. They were called _villains_ for a reason.

* * *

Ben waited patiently as the limo pulled up outside Castle Beast. He clenched and unclenched his hands, which were restless behind his back.

The door opened and a young woman a few years older then him got out, the door of the car closing behind her. She was of average height but was shorter then he, standing a little shorter then Mal. She had black hair and an odd eye colour that Ben had never been able to identify. She was dressed in red and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with a pair of aviator sunglasses sitting atop her head. Around her neck was an enchanted locket in the shape of an oval, donning the Auradon crest.

"Welcome home, G." Ben smiled as he moved to help her.

Gia smiled. "Thank you, my dear little brother." She reached up and tilted his crown.

Ben chuckled as she hugged him.

Gia pulled back, going down into a small curtsey. "I really should be addressing you as 'Your Majesty' now, shouldn't I?" She teased.

Ben snorted in amusement. "You know we don't address each other by titles at home, Gia."

Gia allowed a smirk to cross her face. "I know. Just checking to see just how much you've changed since I've been gone."

"I haven't changed at all. Well, except for the title."

Gia chuckled as she reached for Ben's out stretched arm. She turned and waved a hand at her bags that the driver had discarded behind her. The bags rose into the air just as Gia and Ben turned and walked up the stairs. The bags followed the pair as they walked.

"Still up to your normal magic tricks?" Ben teased.

"Of course. I wouldn't be me without my trusty locket."

"You know mom and dad warned you about using magic at home."

"I know but I don't do it all that often."

Ben raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew she secretly used it for almost everything she did.

Gia cleared her throat. "Enough about me, I'm not interesting. What about you? What's this I hear that you have a _new_ girlfriend?"

Ben's face lit up at the indirect mention of Mal. "Yeah, I do."

"That's a relief." Gia sighed as they entered the castle.

"You never did approve of me dating Audrey." Ben said thoughtfully.

"No, I didn't. I, much like your mother, always thought Audrey was self-absorbed and arrogant."

"You _knew_ about that?"

"You bet I did. Belle often confides in me about your love life and her constant concerns for your wellbeing."

"I bet she does. Your love life on the other hand, is none existent."

Gia sniggered. "I prefer it that way. Gives me a chance to watch over you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Ah-huh, yeah. Now, tell me about her. What's she like? What's her name?"

"She's amazing. Well, her name's Mal and she's Maleficent's daughter."

Gia looked at him but to his surprise, she wasn't shocked. "Ah. Yes, your first official proclamation as King of Auradon: To have the children of the Isle of the Lost here in Auradon in order to give them a second chance at life. How did that turn out by the way?" Ben gave her a puzzled look. "I heard a lot of things on my travels."

Ben was quick to answer. "It went well. Until Audrey and Chad spread a rumor about the four I chose."

"I take it Mal was among this group?"

Ben nodded, his grief at losing Mal apparent.

Gia gave him a look of sympathy. "I always hated Chad. I know Cinderella and she would _never_ allow her son to be so heartless and cruel."

Before Ben could respond, they looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

" _Ah, we thought we heard voices."_ Former King Adam, better known to everyone as Beast said with a smile.

"Hi dad. Mom." Ben said with a bright smile.

Belle smiled at her son while Adam ignored him.

"Gia, my dear, welcome home." The former king spread his arms wide.

Gia released Ben's arm and went to hug her co-guardian. "Thank you Adam. It's good to be home." She pulled back and turned to Belle who was standing beside him.

"Gia." Belle said as they embraced. "We've missed you."

"I missed you all too. I'm so sorry that I missed Ben's coronation." Gia looked between her adopted family members.

"Ben missed you the most." Belle grinned, arming a well-placed smirk at her son.

Ben narrowed his eyes at his mother, ignoring her comment. "We understand," he said patting Gia on the shoulder. "I understand. It would have been nice to have you there."

Gia nodded. "I wish I could have met Mal and her friends."

Belle and Adam exchanged looks. They had only just come to accept Mal as their son's girlfriend and potential future daughter-in-law when Ben had been forced to send her and her friends back to the Isle of the Lost. They understood that Ben was upset that his own people wanted nothing more to do with the descendants of their enemies. It wasn't fair that they wouldn't give the VKs a second chance.

Gia turned from her embrace with Belle and started to head back the way she and Ben had come.

"Where are you going?" Adam called after her.

"To see Ella. I want this rumor defused."

No one tried to stop her, knowing it was pointless. Having been raised by Belle and Adam from a young age, Gia was just as independent as Ben was but she had more freedom, as she didn't have the reality of becoming a monarch looming over her like Ben did.

* * *

Gia found herself stomping her way towards the castle in which Cinderella lived with her husband and son. Gus and Mary, two of Cinderella's mice friends who had been turned human, greeted her at the castle door.

"Welcome back Lady Gia." Mary curtsied.

"Thank you Mary," Gia smiled at the former mouse. "I came to see Ella."

"What for?" Gus asked.

"I've come to talk to her about the rumor that was spread about the VKs by Chad and Audrey."

"Go on in," Gus said as he opened the door for her. "Cinderelly is in the library."

"Great," Gia said with a determined smile. "Thanks." She slipped inside, missing the horrified look that Gus and Mary shared.

* * *

Gus had been right when he had said that Cinderella was in the library.

Cinderella had always been a kind woman and had always been motherly towards Gia and hadn't treated her like she was a villain, despite her villainous bloodline.

"Ella." Gia said as she stopped in the doorway of the library.

"Gia. Oh, my darling." Cinderella rose from her armchair and went to embrace her young friend. "How was your trip?"

"Eventful." Gia admitted truthfully as Cinderella lead her over to where she had been sitting just moments before.

The queen gestured to the chair opposite hers. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Gia sat down. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Cinderella nodded.

"Do you remember when Ben decreed that the children from the Isle of the Lost were to be given a chance to live in Auradon?"

"Indeed I do." Cinderella nodded in reply. "Why do you ask, darling?"

"Well the villainous descendants were sent back to the island."

"Yes, I heard." Cinderella said bowing her head. "It was such a shame. Some of the kids really liked them. I heard some lovely things from Belle about them, particularly Evil Queen's daughter Evie. Such a sweet girl." Cinderella mused. "And that Mal, Daughter of Maleficent. I never would have thought Ben would choose her over Audrey. It was a good move I must admit. Audrey does come off as pushy and self-indulgent. I never liked her myself. I couldn't believe it when Chad started dating her."

Gia ignored Cinderella's after thoughts. "You know what it's like to be discriminated against, Ella," she said. "Now, I don't mean to speak out of turn, but Ben discovered that Chad was involved with sending the VKs back to the island."

Cinderella blinked and bowed her head, ashamed.

"I'm sure you're aware by now that Ben was loved spelled by Mal."

"Mal cast a love spell on Ben?" Cinderella frowned.

"Yes but it wore off. Anyway, that's not important. I came to tell you that Chad is partially the reason why the VKs were sent home."

Cinderella sighed. She went to open her mouth to speak but Gia cut across her.

"Why he did it to begin with, I wish I knew but I will not allow him to ruin Ben's happiness." Gia's tone was stern and merciless.

Cinderella sighed again. "I had a feeling Chad was going to pull something like this."

"You did?" Gia asked in surprise.

"Yes. When he came home after Ben's coronation after-party, he was in a much happier mood then normal. After he had fallen sleep, I went into his room and found a notebook in one of his desk drawers. I opened it and found that it was a plan, detailing how to get rid of the villainous descendants. At first I thought it was a joke but now that you're talking about a rumor beginning started, my worse fears have been realized."

"I am so sorry to bring you this news, Ella." Gia was truly remorseful towards Chad's mother but she wasn't at all sorry for wanting to kick Chad to the Isle of the Lost.

"That's quite alright, my dear. Charming has always had that boy of ours wrapped around his little finger. I wanted to raise our son to be like Ben. Kind. Thoughtful. Selfless. Not bratty, self-loving and judgmental. Charming wanted to raise him like he was raised." Cinderella rolled her eyes in disgust.

Gia nodded, understanding Cinderella's pain and her disgust at Chad's actions.

"I never thought Chad would be so self-absorbed." Cinderella said, giving Gia a look of remorse.

"Well, I think we both know where he gets _that_ from."

"Audrey." The pair said in unison.

"It's strange to think that children can be very different to their parents." Gia said half-heartedly.

"You are the perfect example of that, Gia."

"I hardly think so." Gia didn't want to draw too much attention to her. After all, this was about Ben and his happiness. Not hers.

"I think so. As does Adam and Belle. Just because your father is a villain _doesn't_ make _you_ a villain."

"I agree, but I have always felt that it was wrong for me to be in Auradon at all."

"You were born before Adam put the decree in place that all villains were to be booted to the island."

"Actually, I was born _when_ the law was put in place. In fact, the law had been in force a year when I was born and my father was imprisoned on that godforsaken island."

"It was the same with my stepfamily. They too were imprisoned around that time. They weren't deemed all that dangerous. Only, my stepmother tried to ruin my life when she stole Fairy Godmother's wand."

Gia pursed her lips and nodded. "I was only allowed to stay because my mother refused to give me to my father to be raised. Also, my mother was a friend of Belle's from the village she lived in."

"True but Gia, it doesn't matter anymore. You're of age now. You can do what you like. You don't have to listen to Belle and Beast anymore."

"I know but they are still the closest thing to parents that I have ever had. With my father on the Isle of the Lost and my mother dead, my only family is Belle, Beast and Ben."

Gia didn't like bringing her adoptive family into her issues. Like Ben always said, Belle and Beast were the poster parents for good. Gia knew he was 110% right.

"Don't be down on yourself, Gia." Cinderella said gently. "You are not your father."

Gia gave her a thankful look.

"So where are you going now?"

"Aurora and Philip's. I need to tell them about Audrey's part in this." Gia rose from her seat. Cinderella did the same.

"You are a good friend to Ben for helping him."

Gia grinned. "I vowed when I was young that I would _never_ become my father."

"That's a good vow to keep." Cinderella nodded as she led Gia to the door. "One I think others should follow."

Gia smiled and nodded as they headed towards the front door. "I hope I can sort this out for Ben's sake."

"As do I, my dear. Don't worry about Chad. I'll let you know what happens."

"Great, thanks." Gia stepped out the door. "Please don't tell him it was me that told you about the rumor."

"I won't, trust me. My lips are sealed." Cinderella did a zipping gesture over her mouth.

Gia smiled again. "Good because if he knew it was me he would take it out on Ben and I don't want that."

"Don't worry, he won't find out it was you. I know how much you two cannot stand each other."

"I don't blame you for the way Chad turned out. I blame Charming."

"I appreciate that. I can handle my husband, don't concern yourself with him."

Gia waved her goodbyes to Cinderella.

Cinderella waved in response before she headed back inside.

* * *

Making her way down the path towards Aurora and Philip's castle, Gia thought of a million things she could say to Aurora and Philip about Audrey. Gia was polite but she spoke up when something wasn't right. Belle, on the other hand, tended to keep her thoughts as well as her opinions to herself.

Gia had grown up with a number of the hero kids and had come to know most of them well. Of all of the ones she didn't like, she detested Audrey and Chad the most. They were pompous, arrogant and rude and it pained her that they had been the ones to cause Ben the pain of losing Mal. Ben had always been like a little brother to her and she hated seeing him hurt.

Her thoughts came to a halt when she stopped outside Aurora and Philip's castle. She ignored the guards and marched inside.

" _Gia?"_

Gia ignored the look of surprise on Queen Leah's face as she passed. She had no time to listen to the elderly woman's rant about the villains.

Marching into the throne room, Gia came face to face with Aurora and Philip.

"Gia." Philip said, surprised to see her.

"You need to talk to your daughter." Gia said, her voice was level and to the point. She was pissed. She didn't miss the wide-eyed look that Aurora was giving her.

"Why? What has Audrey done?" Aurora asked, her eyes going from her husband to Gia and back again.

"She helped Chad Charming spread a rumor to get the villainous descendants sent back to the Isle of the Lost." Gia said, her disgust evident.

Aurora and Philip stared at her.

"Our Audrey would _never_ do that." Philip said, highly offended that Gia would suggest such a thing.

"You wanna make a bet?" Gia didn't care if she as being rude. She had simply had enough of the crap Audrey was putting Ben through. "Do something about it or I will." She hissed before turning on her heel and stomping out of the room and back outside.

Aurora and Philip stared after her, unsure of how to respond.

A moment later, Leah poked her head in and entered the room, the door closing behind her.

"Why was Gia here?" the old woman asked her daughter and son-in-law.

Aurora and Philip merely shook their heads.

* * *

" _You did WHAT?"_ Ben exclaimed after Gia had explained what she'd done. They were in Ben's dorm room that he shared with Doug. It was now mid-afternoon.

"Do I _have_ to repeat myself?" Gia said with a roll of her eyes.

"G, you can't do that. Queen Leah already has it out for me after what happened at Family Day. Your interference will only make it worse."

"Who says?"

"Me! I'm the king now, Gia. I have to handle things my own way."

Gia groaned. "You might be king now Ben, but you're letting your subjects walk all over you."

"I'm not-"

Gia held up a ringed hand, silencing him. "You are," she said sternly. "Your mother has always told you to follow your heart and you haven't done that. You let the people who despise your girlfriend and her friends because of who they are. A king is supposed to lead by example and you aren't doing that."

Ben simply stared at her, unable to believe what he's just heard. "I thought you were on my side."

Gia could tell this was going to blow up into a full-scale argument. "I AM on your side, Ben. You can't let anyone push you around, especially bullies like Chad and Audrey."

Ben was silent for a moment before he turned his full attention to his longtime friend. "You're right, G."

Gia raised an eyebrow, daring him to say more.

"I can't let those who hate the villains' offspring win. Everybody deserves a second chance."

"Now you're talkin' and beginning to take being king seriously." Gia practically gloated. She then punched him gently in the shoulder.

"I know what I have to do." Ben smiled and Gia smiled at him, knowing exactly what he had planned.

* * *

Evening had fallen by the time Mal had claimed the couch. Evie was sitting next to her while Jay and Carlos were perched on each of the arms.

Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella had joined them and for once, they weren't arguing. In a way, they were grateful towards their children for getting rid of Maleficent.

Television programming on the island was pretty much the leftovers of what had aired in Auradon the week before. Nothing was ever 'current' except the news reports that filtered in and out during the day.

"Is there anything interesting on?" Carlos whined.

Before anyone could answer him, the Auradon crest appeared on screen.

The room went silent as they waited.

A moment later, Ben's face appeared on screen.

Mal could feel a smile form at the sight of her boyfriend.

Evie, Carlos and Jay stared wide-eyed at the screen waiting for Ben to speak.

" _Citizens of Auradon and those watching on the Isle of the Lost."_

The VKs knew he was referring to them without actually saying their names.

" _I am decreeing that the children of the Isle of the Lost that were amongst us just two weeks ago be allowed to return to Auradon. I know there are those citizens of Auradon that never approved of my first proclamation to allow the villainous descendants of Cruella De Vil, Jafar, the Evil Queen and Maleficent to live in Auradon but I know there are those that supported it. I ask you all to look at yourselves and ask whether you could have done some things differently with your story and if you can see the reason why the villains tried to destroy us. I ask you all to think back to the days of old and ask yourselves this: if the villains were the heroes, would they approve of you trying to ruin their lives?"_

There was silence as the villains and their children continued to stare at the television. The adults looked at each other while the kids did the same.

Mal's heart started to beat faster. Ben was giving them a second chance to redeem themselves even though they hadn't done anything. Once Ben's address was over she jumped to her feet. "Right, guys, let's pack. Car arrives first thing tomorrow morning." She looked over at Evil Queen who gave her a look of reassurance. She beamed before hurrying off after Evie to pack for the trip home.

* * *

The next morning, Ben paced back and forth across the bottom step in the castle courtyard where the car carrying the original VKs would pull up in just minutes. This was all déjà vu for him, only the location was different.

Gia stood a few steps above him, watching. She wore a red and yellow dress with a headdress decorating her hair and forehead.

"Ben."

The king continued to pace, totally ignoring her.

"Ben." Gia tried again.

More pacing.

"Benjamin!"

Ben jumped. He turned and looked up at Gia whose eyebrows had shot up her forehead.

"Can you _please_ stop pacing? You're making me _anxious_." She muttered.

"Sorry." Ben apologized.

Gia stepped down the stairs so that she was standing next to him. "Nervous, huh? Funny. I never thought you were the _type_ of guy to _get_ nervous."

Ben took a shaky breath. He didn't react when Gia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It hasn't been that long since you last saw Mal. You act like you haven't seen her in six months."

 _It feels like six months,_ Gia heard Ben think.

Gia groaned throwing her hands up in the air.

"What?" Ben asked frowning.

"I really have to break that Telepathic Link Fairy Godmother cast between us when we were kids. Your thoughts of Mal are the _only_ things occupying your brain. It's _sickening._ " Gia strung the word out to add strength to her disgust.

Ben gave her that same cheeky smile he had given her when they were kids growing up.

"What is it with little brothers and that cheeky grin?" Gia sighed dramatically.

"What is it with big sisters and their overprotective streaks?" Ben said with faux annoyance.

Gia chuckled as she reached over and ruffled his hair, tilting his crown.

The sound of a car horn gave out, causing Ben and Gia to stop their roughhousing.

Ben straightened his crown and stood straighter then he ever had in his life just as the car came to a slow stop in front of them.

 _This is it, Ben. Breath._

The car stopped and the doors opened. One by one the villainous descendants exited the car. Mal was the last one out the car.

Gia watched as Ben tensed and she saw his face light up at the sight of Mal. She knew Mal was the girl with the purple hair. Evie, Mal's best female friend was the girl with the blue hair. She had to remember that for future reference.

"Welcome back." Ben said with the biggest smile Gia had ever seen.

"It's good to be back." Jay smiled.

 _Jafar's son,_ Ben told Gia via their link.

 _Figured that out already,_ Gia replied silently.

Ben's gaze turned from Evie and Jay to Mal.

Gia could sense that Ben was forcing himself not to pull Mal into his arms and kiss her.

" _What about me?"_

Ben forced himself to look away from Mal and focused on Carlos who was giving him a sour look for forgetting him.

"Sorry Carlos." Ben apologized.

Carlos simply beamed and nodded, saying nothing else.

There was a clearing of a throat.

Ben looked over to see Gia glaring at him, as if he had forgotten her too.

"Oh! Right. Everyone I would like to introduce you to a very old friend of mine." Ben smiled. "This is Gianna, daughter of Gaston, the ward of my parents and the Lady of Auradon. My adoptive sister… in a way."

Gia bowed her head before speaking up. " First off Ben, it's Gia. No one _ever_ calls me Gianna unless it's a formal situation," She gave Ben a look of distaste before a kind smile crossed her face as she turned to face the VKs. "I have heard so much about you all. Please allow me to extend my own warm welcome to you all." She stepped over to where Carlos was standing. "Welcome Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil." Carlos nodded. She stepped over to Evie. "Welcome Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen." Evie beamed before going down into a quick curtsey. Stepping over to Jay, it took Gia a few seconds to cover the blush that had formed on her face. "Welcome Jay, son of Jafar." Jay winked at her, flirtatiously. She made every attempt to ignore it but felt her lips tug up into a grin. Finally, she stopped in front of Mal. "Welcome Mal, daughter of Maleficent," Gia turned to Ben who smiled. "And girlfriend of King Ben."

Mal laughed. "You know about that, huh?"

"You could say that. Ben tells me pretty much _everything_."

"Not true." Ben said from behind Gia.

Mal and Gia ignored him and shared a smile.

" _Excuse me, ah, Gia?"_

Mal and Gia turned to see Evie watching them.

"Yes, Evie?" Gia replied politely.

"Are you really the daughter of Gaston? Shouldn't you be on the island?"

"All your questions will be answered once we get inside." Said Ben as he stepped forward to join them. He was quick to step to Mal's side and take her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

Gia turned to look at them to see them exchange loving looks. She grinned, glad to see Ben happy at last.

 _Lead the way, G._ Ben's voice echoed through Gia's skull.

"Please follow me to the royal library." Gia turned on her heel and lead the group up into the castle.

* * *

The kids from the Isle of the Lost had seen a lot of Auradon in their short time in the heroes' territory but they had never been inside the castle. They looked around in awe. They had never seen anything so beautiful in all their lives.

The castle had everything. Rooms for everything you could think of.

Jay and Carlos practically drooled at the idea of the food and all the other things they enjoyed.

Evie could just imagine the idea of watching the palace seamstresses sewing all the fine gowns and suits that were worn by everybody in the palace that had royal or noble status.

Ben watched as Mal looked back and forth in amazement. He wished he had of shown her his home sooner but after his coronation and the spreading of Audrey and Chad's rumor, things had gotten out of control.

Gia walked on Ben's left side as she led the way towards the library.

Carlos and Jay looked around, their eyes bulging out of the heads. Who knew just want wonderful treasures were behind all these doors?

"Here we are." Gia announced suddenly, pulling the boys from their auras of awe.

* * *

Once everybody was inside, Gia closed the door just as the villain kids were sitting down.

Mal claimed her spot next to Ben while Jay and Carlos fought over the only armchair available. Evie rolled her eyes and took her place next to Gia.

"Okay," Gia said as she looked around at the villain kids "I suspect you all have questions?"

The villain kids nodded.

"Ask away."

Evie was the first to speak up. "Can you please answer my question from before?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course," Gia nodded. "Well, like Ben mentioned before, I was born the daughter of Gaston, the arch enemy of Beast and Belle but I was raised here in Auradon alongside the children of the heroes."

"How is that possible?" Mal asked. "You're a villain's child. Shouldn't you have been thrown onto the island with the rest of us?"

Gia pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, but I would have been if Belle hadn't of intervened."

Ben knew about Gia's parentage but he didn't know the whole story.

Gia continued. "When my mother discovered she was carrying Gaston's child, she went to Belle for help, explaining her situation. Belle was eager to help, even if it meant facing Beast's wrath. So anyway, when my mother went into labor, Belle went to Beast and told him about me. At first, he said no to me being raised in Auradon but Belle put her foot down, telling him that I was just a child who was unfortunate enough to be the child of a villain. Wanting to please Belle, Beast agreed to allow me to stay. It was the actually the day I was born that Gaston was booted out of Auradon."

There was confusion written over the faces of the VKs.

Carlos raised his hand like he was in class. "I thought all the villains were kicked out of Auradon at the same time."

Ben shook his head, continuing on where Gia had left off. "No, the villains were ranked from evil to crazy and booted off that way. Because there were so many of them, my dad sent them to the island in order of how evil they were. Eventually, they were all sent to the Isle of the Lost."

"Meaning my mom, Jafar, Cruella and Evil Queen were all sent first." Mal elaborated.

"Not exactly," Gia said. Everybody looked at her, wanting her to continue. "Maleficent was sent first, yes, but Cruella and Jafar were sent about six months later. Evil Queen was rendered not quite as evil as Maleficent but was sent with her as one of the first on the island. Jafar was unconscious for most of the time but he would have been sent to the island with Maleficent and Evil Queen if he had been conscious."

"So where did that place your dad?" Carlos asked.

"My dad was only said to be crazy but he was also said to be totally self-absorbed and sexist and he only wanted to marry Belle for her looks." Gia paused looking over at Ben and Mal who blinked, trying to understand what she was saying.

"So you're saying," Ben licked his lips. "Gaston knows you're his child."

"Of course he does," Gia said. "Gosh, according to what my mother told Belle and Beast, he kept going on about me being one of many strong sons and blah, blah, blah." The Lady of Auradon rolled her eyes at her father's stupidity. "Clearly he couldn't tell the difference between males and females."

"I had no idea." Ben said quietly. Mal wrapped her arms around him to comfort him.

"Look at the bright side," Mal perked up. "At least you have more brains then Gaston."

Ben gave his adoptive sister a sad look.

"It's okay, Ben. You weren't to know." Gia gave him a small smile.

"So what happened to your mom?" Evie asked.

"She died when I was six months old. Her final wish was for Belle and Beast to raise me as their own and that's what happened. For the first three years, they raised me as their heir as they didn't have a child of their own at that time. About six weeks after my third birthday, Ben was born, making him their legitimate heir and Adam's eventual successor. Once Ben was born, they didn't love me any less then what they had before. I might have only been three years old at the time but I somehow remember what Beast said to me."

"What did he say?" Mal asked, her arms tightening around Ben.

Gia gave a slight chuckle as she flashed back. "He said, _'Care for our son like he were your brother. When the time is right, you will serve him as his friend and humble servant. His advisor. His older sister of sorts.'_ " Gia pulled out of her memory and gave Ben another smile.

Ben returned the smile while the villain kids looked down at the ground sadly.

"Sorry to hear about your mom," Evie said taking Gia's hand and gently squeezing it. "We all know how you feel."

"Yeah," Mal said. "I don't know my father. Every time I use to ask my mother she would talk about him with contempt so I gave up asking."

Evie nodded in agreement. "My mom often says that I was the product of an affair."

"So you _aren't_ the half-sister of Snow White?" Gia asked Evie.

"No. My mom was already on the island when she was pregnant with me so I couldn't have been the half-sister of Snow White. She never mentioned my father so I never asked. I don't even know where the whole 'affair' thing came in." Evie didn't appear upset. It appeared she was use to telling the story.

"My mom won't even talk about my dad." Carlos said with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't even know who my mom is," Jay said. "I know I had one once but I was too young to remember her. Dad won't even mention her. She's alive still but she lives in Agrabah or so dad says. Heck, my cousin Jade doesn't even know her dad."

Gia looked around at her four new friends and wondered what it must have been like to be raised as the child of a villain. She wondered what it would have been like if she had of been raised by her father. Would she have been rotten to the core like these kids use to be?

She understood now why Ben had invited them to Auradon. He had wanted to show people that villainous offspring could be just as good as the offspring of heroes.

"I know it's hard for you all but I know exactly how you all feel. I never knew my mom and my father is so self-absorbed that he thinks I'm a boy. Either way, we aren't that much different. My childhood was only good because I had good guardians that loved me like their own."

Mal was the first to speak. "I think that's something you and Ben share. You might not be related by blood but you don't need to be to get along."

Gia looked at Ben's girlfriend with surprise. He had taught her so much in such a small amount of time. It was impressive. "You found the right girl, Ben. I have to say I'm impressed. I never thought a villain's child could be so compassionate."

Ben looked at Gia, a pleased smile plastered on his face. "You approve of Mal then?"

" _Anyone_ is better then Audrey."

The villain kids flinched at the mention of Audrey.

" _Evie!"_

Everybody jumped and turned to see Doug standing in the doorway of the library.

Evie rose from her seat at the sight of the half-dwarf.

It took Doug half a second to realize that Ben and their friends were present. "Hi, guys." He said with a bright smile and a small wave. He walked over to Evie and hugged her. He wasn't about to kiss her in front of the others. It would be embarrassing for both of them. "Welcome back."

"Thanks man," Carlos grinned. "I hope Dude hasn't been giving you too much trouble. Why are you in the castle?"

"Don't worry," Doug chuckled. "Dude's fine. To answer your question, my mom and dad are here talking with Adam so I came with them." He looked over at Gia. "I must also welcome back our fair Lady of Auradon. Welcome home, Gia."

"Thank you Doug." Gia beamed.

"How's things with Audrey and Chad?" Mal wondered aloud.

"All over each other like you'd expect." Doug said, his disgust evident. He then turned to look at Ben. "Good thing you broke up with her."

Ben looked at Mal and smiled.

Gia rolled her eyes. "Come on, lover boy. Lighten up. There are those of us that _aren't_ in love here."

Without warning, Ben chucked a pillow at her.

Gia yelped and threw it back at him, narrowly missing Mal. "Oops. Sorry Mal." She apologized.

"I'd better get going, class starts soon." Doug said. "Catch up later?" he said to Evie.

Evie nodded and smiled dreamily as Doug turned and headed out the door.

"Earth to Evie! Earth to Evie!" Mal called, snapping Evie out of her love fueled haze.

"What?" Evie said. She turned to see Mal and the others staring at her.

"Doug will be there when he comes out of class," Jay said, attempting to hide the smug look on his face. "It's not like he's going to hide in a diamond mine."

Evie turned and gave him the most revolted look she could muster.

Mal, seeing that this disagreement between her two friends could escalate, decided to jump in and put a stop to it. "Jay," she warned. Jay's face fell. "Better."

"Gia," Ben said rising his feet. "Do you mind taking the girls to their dorm? I'll take the guys."

"Not at all," Gia rose at the same time as everybody else. "Come on ladies. I think there will be some very happy girls that will be dying to see you both."

With one final nod from Ben, Gia lead the girls from the room but not before Mal stopped her.

"Wait a second." Mal doubled back and kissed Ben on the cheek.

Ben was surprised at Mal's sudden burst of affection. "See you later?" he murmured to her.

Mal nodded before hurrying back to join Gia and Evie at the door before they slipped out of the room.

The boys watched them go. Ben crossed his arms and sighed.

"As long as you treat our girl well," said Jay stepping up to stand beside the king. "We don't mind the affection."

Carlos nodded. He enjoyed seeing Mal happy.

Ben turned to see the seriousness on Jay's face and found himself chuckling. Trust these guys to protect Mal and Evie. They were after all, their pseudo-brothers. If guys messed with them, Jay and Carlos would be the first to know about it. Ben could see that very clearly. Gia would do the same for him when it came to girls.

"Fair enough," Ben said with an easy smile. "I think Gia will be glad to hear that." He turned to look at Jay. Carlos struggled not to laugh as Jay's face paled. "I know you like her. I can tell."

Jay gave him a dark look.

Carlos burst out laughing. "This is too good. I have never seen you cave like this before, Jay. You must have it _bad_ for her."

"I'd watch it if I were you." Ben warned.

"Why?" Jay asked.

"My dad is rather protective of her. Mess with her you mess with him. Oh, and you also mess with me too."

Carlos looked from Ben to Jay and back. He couldn't tell if Ben was joking with them or being serious.

"You're serious, right?" Jay asked hesitantly.

Ben raised his eyebrows and motioned for the pair to follow him to their dorm room.

* * *

" _Here we are!"_ Gia said walking into the dorm room that Mal and Evie had shared before.

The girls looked around in amazement. Everything had been left the same way they had left it.

"Everything's as we left it," Mal said in surprise. "I thought they would have thrown what we left out."

"No," Gia shook her head before explaining. "Ben made sure that none of your stuff was moved or looted."

"How did he manage to do that?" Mal asked as she sat down on her bed, her bag in her lap.

"He had Fairy Godmother cast a spell over the rooms to ensure that nothing went missing. Plus, Lonnie and Jane played security guard."

"Nice." Mal said impressed.

"I'll leave you both to it." Gia said as she backed towards the door.

"No wait!" Mal called.

Gia stopped.

"Thanks for not judging us."

Evie nodded.

Gia turned around to face them again. "I was raised by heroes so I know better then to judge. Oh! That reminds me. We're having a family dinner tonight and you ladies and Jay and Carlos are invited."

Mal and Evie exchanged looks.

"On whose decree did this come?" Mal wondered.

Gia smiled. "Beast." With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, the door closing behind her.

Mal and Evie stared at the door before hurrying to their closets.

* * *

Jay and Carlos were relieved to be back in their dorm room. It didn't at all surprise them when Dude ran to the door to greet them and Ben.

"Dude!" Carlos exclaimed as he picked up his four-legged companion. "How are ya, boy? Did you miss me?"

In response, Dude licked his face.

Ben chuckled. "I'll give you guys some time to catch up and don't be late for dinner."

"Dinner?" The former villain boys echoed in surprise.

"Yeah, my dad wants to welcome you all back so he asked me and Gia to tell you and the girls."

"Your dad? I thought your dad hated us." Carlos asked frowning.

"'Hate' is a bit of a strong word for him. He can't see the reason why people can change but he's trying to make an effort."

"That's fair." Jay said after a moment.

"So, dinner's at six and don't be late." Ben gave the boys a quick smile and left them to get ready.

* * *

Back in Mal and Evie's room, Mal threw clothing item after clothing item over her shoulder that she found unsuitable. She was being given another chance to meet Ben's parents. She had to look her best.

"No. No. Ah, no." She turned around and gave a groan of frustration. "I have nothing decent to wear. This is a nightmare!"

Evie, who had been sitting at her makeup vanity table turned to look at her. "Who are you and what have you done with Mal?"

Mal snapped out of her daze. "I'm still me. Just I'm less evil and very much in love with the new King of Auradon." She replied as she slumped down on her bed with a huff.

Evie had come to know Mal much better in the last month and a bit then she had on the island over the last sixteen years.

Being with Ben had changed Mal for the better and everyone who knew Maleficent's daughter could see that. Especially Evie, Carlos and Jay.

"M, calm down," Evie said getting up and going over to comfort her fretting friend. "We can come up with something." Evie searched the items of clothing that Mal had already pulled out and thought for a moment. She smiled as she came up with an idea.

After ten minutes, Mal was ready to go. Evie had managed to convince her to wear a little bit more makeup then normal.

"You need to stop worrying," Evie said as she applied Mal's mascara. "This is a casual dinner with Ben's family. It's not like he's going to propose."

"I know. Sorry, E, but I just want this to go off without a hitch. I don't want a repeat of what happened at Family Day."

"It's not going to," Evie reassured her. "Ben will make sure of that. Besides, there's no Chad, Audrey or Queen Leah to make it bad."

Mal nodded.

"All done." Evie announced as she replaced the lid on the mascara.

"How do I look?" Mal asked going over to the mirror.

"Like you were born to be Ben's queen." Evie giggled as she perched at Mal's shoulder.

"Don't say that," Mal said dismissively. "We've only been going out a month."

"That's true," Evie agreed. "I don't think Ben's going to dump you any time soon."

Mal knew Evie was right. A blind man could see the love Ben held for Mal. After the Family Day incident, most of those involved had apologized for siding with Audrey, Queen Leah and Chad, especially Lonnie, Jane and Doug. They had been peer pressured into siding with the others.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Evie called.

Jay and Carlos poked their heads in.

"How's it going in here?" Carlos asked.

"Wow," Jay whistled. "You both look smokin'."

Evie and Mal rolled their eyes.

Jay loved to flirt; there was no denying it. He even flirted with girls that were practically his sisters.

"Sorry Jay, but we're both taken." Mal joked as she patted Jay on the shoulder as she passed by him.

Carlos stifled a laugh as he passed his best friend on the way to the door.

Evie flicked her hair over her shoulder as she passed Jay and followed Mal and Carlos to the door.

"You coming?" Mal called to Jay as she left the room.

Jay followed suit. He could only smile after the conversation he and Carlos had had with Ben earlier. If Ben hurt Mal in any way, there would be hell to pay and it wouldn't matter if Ben was the king. No one hurt Mal and got away with it. Jay's attempt to smash the living daylights out of Chad at Family Day after he had humiliated Evie was proof of that.

For the first time in a very long time, the group felt at home. They had all found a purpose to belong at Auradon Prep. Sure, high school would always be filled with trying times but everyday life _after_ school would be fifty times more trying. There would be challenges that they would all face but now all that mattered to impress the royal family.

The royals were nothing new to Mal and Evie.

Evie had had a quick conversation with Belle on Family Day and of course, Mal was dating the current king but Carlos and Jay hadn't been so lucky.

This was their chance to make an impression on the former monarchs of Auradon. They already loved the fact that the leader of their little band of former misfits was the closest thing to a queen that Auradon had at the moment. Mal's boyfriend, after all, was the new king and their fellow Tourney teammate. They knew this new experience was going to be exciting.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know its a lot of writing but I tried to cut it down as much as I could. I forgot to mention in the above author's note that this story won't just focus on what happened after the movie. It will also focus on events set well after descendants leave Auradon Prep. There will quite a number of characters who will introduced in the first few chapters that you will be very familiar with from the CLASSIC Disney movies. Scattered throughout this story will be references to certain points mentioned in the Descendants prequel novel Isle of the Lost, its upcoming sequel novel Return to the Isle of the Lost (when it is released) and the animated shorts series Descendants: Wicked World._

 _To Be Continued..._


	2. Set It Off

**A/N:** _Here's chapter 2. You'll notice just by looking at the chapter title that the it's named after the coronation after-party and final song from the movie. The song is in the chapter. The song is referenced a bit later in the story as an inspiration for a certain character. I'd love to hear who you think it is._

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Set It Off**

* * *

The formerly evil quartet made their way towards the castle. While Jay, Evie and Carlos were excited, Mal was incredibly nervous. Facing Belle and Beast again so soon after the Family Day incident and Ben's coronation, wasn't something she had had on her to-do list. She really did love Ben and wanted to please him but his parents kind of scared her.

Beast was still known for his temper but Belle had a leash on him. She stopped at the castle's front entrance, unable to take another step.

Evie stepped to her side and slid her hand into Mal's.

Mal turned her head to see the look of optimism on the face of her female best friend.

"It's going to be okay, M." Evie said gently giving Mal a reassuring smile.

Jay and Carlos stepped up behind them and both placed hands on Mal's shoulders.

"You can do it this." Jay told her encouragingly.

Mal was truly grateful for her friends being there as her support system. Her mother would never have supported her relationship with Ben but Mal found she didn't care. Auradon was now her home and nothing was going to change that.

Jay stepped out from behind Mal and took her free hand.

Carlos stepped out and stood next to Evie, taking her hand.

"Let's meet royalty." Jay said finally.

The others laughed and together, they opened the door and slipped into the castle.

* * *

Upon reaching the dining room doors, the quartet was greeted by a young man who was serving as the doorman. He had dirty blonde hair and was short but made up for it with his voice.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself," said the doorman. "My name's Chip and I will be announcing you tonight."

"Chip?" Mal frowned in interest. "As in Mrs. Potts' son, Chip?"

Chip chuckled. "The very same. Ben must have kept you informed."

"Wait, wait, wait," Jay said, letting go of Mal's hand. "Aren't you meant to be, you know, a little boy?"

Evie, Mal and Carlos looked at him like he had said something offensive.

"What?" Jay asked, clearly oblivious to what he had said.

"I've grown up in twenty years." Chip laughed. "Any child involved within the original heroes' stories age." When Jay frowned, Chip elaborated. "Ben filled all of us staff in on everything. Including names and whatnot."

A clock somewhere in the room chimed. It was six o'clock.

"Time to meet the royals." Evie sang.

Jay jumped back to Mal's side and took her hand again while Carlos who had been silent the whole time clung to Evie's hand.

Opening the doors to the dining room, Chip spoke, "Your Majesties, introducing Carlos, Evie, Mal and Jay."

Ben stood between his parents, almost as nervous as his friends and girlfriend were.

"Relax, Ben." His mother told him gently squeezing his shoulder.

"This is going to be a breeze, son. You'll do fine." His father ensured.

Both Ben and Belle looked at him, like he had said something foreign.

"Ah, dad?" Ben whispered.

"Yeah?" Adam leaned closer to his son.

"You've never said that in your life. Please don't say it again."

Adam's shoulders slumped. Belle did her best to disguise the snigger that wanted to escape. Ben clenched his jaw and sighed inwardly. This was going to be a _long_ night.

Mal didn't have time to stagger in her heels with Evie and Jay at her sides.

Ben watched as Evie, Jay and Carlos walked Mal into the room. He couldn't help but smile. Always trust them to want to help out. He hoped this dinner would be the chance he got to get to know them better. He looked around and saw Gia was missing.

"Mom?" he whispered to his mother without taking his eyes off his friends and girlfriend.

"Hmm?" Belle leaned closer to him.

"Where's Gia?"

"I have no idea, dear," Belle whispered in return. "I'm sure she'll be here soon. This isn't something she'd miss."

While this was meant to reassure Ben, it didn't. Trust Gia to be late for something like this.

Finally, the quartet stopped with the boys bowing their heads and the girls going down into quick curtseys.

"Welcome my dears," Belle greeted warmly. "We are so glad to have you join us tonight."

"Thank you for having us, Your Majesty." Mal said with a smile that was mostly aimed at Ben.

Belle chuckled. "My dear Mal, please do call me Belle."

"And I much prefer Adam to 'Beast'," Adam put in. "'Beast' takes me back to my old life plus only Belle calls me 'Beast'."

Ben bit his lip. He knew his father was going to ramble about his old life at some point.

"Where's that girl that we met earlier?" Jay asked beginning careful not to use the word 'woman'.

"You mean Gia?" Ben asked. Jay nodded, allowing him to continue. "She's on her way. She's running a bit behind schedule." He exchanged uncertain looks with his mother.

"Is she always this late?" Mal grinned, earning a snort from Ben.

"It's a habit unfortunately." Belle spoke up before Ben could open his mouth. "She'll be here, don't worry."

After a moment, Ben stepped forward taking Mal by the hand and pulling her to him.

Mal relaxed as Ben's arms wrapped around her. She then allowed him to pull her towards the table.

Evie smiled while Jay and Carlos struggled not gag.

Once everybody was seated, they talked for a bit before they were interrupted by Chip.

"Your Majesties, VKs, introducing the Lady Gia." Chip announced.

Gia chuckled before kissing Chip on the cheek. "Thanks Chip."

Chip bowed his head and left, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry I'm late," Gia said making her way towards the table and speaking in a posh accent. "But Fairy Godmother had me trying to break up a fight between two of the seven dwarfs."

From the head of the table, Ben chuckled. "I thought we agreed no more posh accents."

Gia laughed. "That, my darling Ben, wouldn't be my style, now would it?" Gia continued in her faux accent.

The Lady of Auradon was definitely dressed to impress. Her dress was a deep red and her dark hair was tucked in an odd shaped bun. She was wearing what looked suspiciously like black Latin dance heels. Her makeup was perfect and her nails were perfectly manicured with the tips filed straight with rounded corners. She wore the same locket she had worn earlier that day around her neck.

Mal fought to stop herself from feeling envious. Gia was beautiful and was definitely queen material. She seemed to know Ben well. She simply bit her tongue and smiled pleasantly.

"Evie," Belle said with a smile, catching the Evil Queen's daughter by surprise. "I hear you like sewing."

Evie's face lit up. "Yes, Belle. I can sew, cook and clean."

"Ah, like Cinderella." Adam said. "I didn't think villains taught their children life skills like that."

"Dear!" Belle protested, lowering her eating utensils as she scolded her husband.

Ben and the others around the table looked up from their food.

"What?" Adam said. "I meant no offense." He sent an apologetic look Evie's way.

"That's quite alright, Adam," Evie said with a small smile. "I get that a lot."

"It's true," Mal said looking up from her food. "Of all our parents, Evil Queen was the most… caring. She actually _took_ an interest in raising Evie. While my mother, Jafar and Cruella didn't care either way about raising Jay, Carlos and I."

"What's it like being Maleficent's daughter?" Gia asked. Under the table, Ben kicked her. She yelped and gave him a startled look.

"It's fine Ben," Mal said prompting her boyfriend to look at her. "I need to talk about my mother at some point." She took at deep breath, now knowing that every set of eyes was on her. "Let's just say I had a very difficult childhood. Mom always encouraged me to do the very worst I could. I tried and I failed every time. Whatever I did, I could never please her." Mal sounded truly sad.

Belle and Gia looked at each other.

Adam bowed his head.

Ben clenched his jaw. Mal had told him about her mother's cruelness towards her. Maleficent hadn't had very much love in her heart. He understood now why she had turned herself into a little lizard. He also remembered that he had promised Mal to show her what love was like and he had done that.

Mal remembered how the weight had lifted from her shoulders when she had stood up to her mother at Ben's coronation. She remembered how she had said that love wasn't weak and just how wonderful it was and that she loved her friends and how much she wanted to be with Ben. His reaction had tugged at her heartstrings as she had held up her hand, revealing the signet ring that sat on her index finger.

"Must have been hard, growing up with a mother like that." Belle said gently, pulling Mal and Ben from their thoughts.

Mal nodded, holding back her tears. Carlos who was sitting next to her patted her on the arm.

"You're safe here, Mal." Adam said kindly. "Your mother will only return to her full form when she learns to love."

"Like that'll happen." Mal muttered, her eyes going everywhere but Adam's face.

Ben looked at his father who gave him a sympathetic look.

Belle and Gia looked at each other, their expressions sad.

Gia was suddenly stuck with an idea. Her head shot up so quickly that her foster family looked over at her.

 _What?_ Ben's mind spoke.

Gia looked over at him and grinned. She turned her attention back to their guests. "We have a bit of a surprise for you all. You might wanna push your seats back and turn them around."

Jay, Carlos and Evie did as they were told but Mal didn't move.

The royals rose from their seats and started towards the other side of the room.

Ben, stepped over towards Mal and whispered in her ear, "You might want to do what Gia says."

Mal gave him a pointed look before doing as she was told. Being told what to do for her own well-being was something she was still getting use to. As she pushed her chair and turned it around, the table disappeared.

Next to her, Carlos gasped and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see a makeshift stage had appeared in front of them.

Mal suddenly seemed interested. She spotted the royals gathered at the stairs of the stage.

The royals stood huddled together, their heads together.

"What are we going to do?" Ben whispered to his parents and foster sister.

Belle and Adam looked at him before looking at each other.

"I think it's time we set this place off." Gia said slyly. She looked at Ben who had the same sly look on his face.

"Let's do this then." Adam said with a smile. Belle smiled with him.

The music started as the family headed up the stairs.

The villain kids looked at each other. They knew this song. It was the same song that they had sang and danced to at Ben's post-coronation party.

 _Set it off, set it off, set it off!_ Sang what sounded like the male staff.

 _Oh yeah, oh yeah,_ another voice sang. This one was female and sounded slightly off-key.

 _Let's set it off, oh yeah,_ another female voice that sounded like Belle added. Unlike the previous voice, Belle's was in tune.

 _You can make it happen!_ Both female voices sang together.

 _Ohay, ohay, hey!_ Sang the staff.

Ben bounded out on stage.

Mal couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him.

 _Kings and Queens, it's our time to rise. Write the book story of our lives, this is us taking back the night._ The king sang.

It occurred to Mal that he was singing the same part he had during the after-party.

 _Ohay, ohay, ohay,_ sang the staff again.

 _Break the spell, were born this way,_ Belle and Adam bounced out on stage and jumped on either side of their son _. Be yourself, forget the DNA, everybody raise your hands and say,_ the three royals raised their hands, clapping to the beat.

 _Ohay, ohay, hey!_ Everybody sang at once.

 _Sound the alarm, get on your feet. Let's set it off and rock this beat,_ the three royal separated as Gia sang as she trudged down the centre of the stage like a supermodel trying to clear the runaway. She turned to Ben and started to dance. _Dance till your heart is wild and free._

Mal's jaw nearly dropped. She knew Ben could dance but she didn't think he could move _this_ well! She couldn't help but envy the way his every step mirrored Gia's.

 _Ooh oh, oh_ sang everybody in the crowd except Mal.

Gia continued her part of the song. _Feeling the power, let it all out, like what you see in the mirror, shout,_ she spread her arms and hands, her eyes fixed on Jay as her eyes shone green. _We got the keys, the kingdom's ours._

Evie and Mal looked at each other. Had they just seen what they thought they had seen?

 _Ooh, oh, oh, ohay, ohay, hey!_ Sang everybody.

The royals linked hands as they continued their song. _Let's set it off! Oh yeah (oh, yeah). Start a chain reaction, Never let it stop! Let's set it off, oh yeah (oh, yeah)  
You can make it happen With everything you got!_ _Let's set it off!_ They stepped like a slithering snake and posed like hipsters with their arms crossed and joking expressions.

 _Get ready, set it off. Come on. We got to set it off._

 _On the right!_ Gia pointed.

 _Get ready, set it off,_ sang the others.

 _To the left!_ Sang Adam.

 _We got to set it off!_ Sang the others that had sang the previous notes.

 _Ohay ohay hey!_

Belle and Adam disappeared off stage, leaving just Ben and Gia.

 _Yo! It's time to set this thing off. Let's make it happen now. I'll make my own future, ignore the rumors. Show 'em my passion sound,_ Ben and Gia rapped. _  
_

 _They all told me to back down. Show 'em my passion sound. Judgin' me 'cause of my background. Nah, I ain't goin' out like that now._ The 'royal siblings' high-fived.

Belle andAdam strutted back out onto stage. _Feeling the power, let it all out.  
Like what you see in the mirror, shout_

Mal couldn't help but feel envious of how Gia's powerful dance moves were. She envied not having those legs of hers. Oh, those legs! She had never seen anyone move like she did on the dance floor.

The new king grabbed Gia's hand and raised it in the air with his as he sang, _We got the keys, the kingdom's ours_!

 _Ooh Oh Oh!_

Belle sang the next part with conviction. _Oh yeah!_

There was a proud look on Ben's face that Mal had never seen in the short time she had known him. It took her a split second to realise that his eyes were on her as he sang his part. She blushed as she locked eyes with him.

The royal family linked together again as they had earlier in the song.

Let's set it off! Oh yeah! Let's set this off! Start a chain reaction. Never let it stop! Let's set it off! Let's set this off! Oh yeah. Let's set this off! You can make it happen. With everything you got! Let's set it off!

 _Get ready, set it off! Come on We got to set it off! That's right! Get ready, set it off! (To the left!) We got to set it off! Get ready, set it off. We got to set it off. Get ready to set it off. Come on!_

In the build up to the countdown, Ben pulled Gia in from the multitude of spins and twists.

 _3, 2, 1, Uh!_ Gia and Ben jumped and high-fived before Ben was able to plant a kiss on Gia's cheek. The instrumental break in the song started.

The royals jammed on air instruments and danced like their lives depended on their steps.

 _Ooh yeah!_

The royal joined together one last time for the chain reaction.

 _Let's set it off! Oh yeah Let's set this off! Start a chain reaction. Never let it stop! Let's set it off. Let's set this off! Oh yeah. Let's set this off! You can make it happen. With everything you got! Let's set it off!_

The royals broke back into twos. Gia and Ben. Belle and Adam.

 _Get ready, set it off. Come on! We got to set it off! (To the left!) Get ready, set it off! (To the right!) We got to set it off!_ On that beat, Ben lifted Gia off her feet, one arm around his neck and other pumped in the air. Adam did the same with Belle.

The villain kids and the assembled staff went crazy with applause and cheering.

All on stage were exhausted but were glad to have entertained their guests.

Belle and Gia walked down the stairs with Adam and Ben trailing behind them.

The villain kids jumped to their feet.

"That was AMAZING!" Carlos exclaimed before he could stop himself.

The royals smiled.

"Thank you Carlos." Gia smiled.

Mal stepped forward. "Where did you learn to move like that?" she asked.

Ben laughed as he pulled her close. Mal smiled into his chest.

"I _taught_ him."

"Really?" Evie said with interest.

Gia nodded. "Yeah. It was a…" she thought for the right word. "Compromise."

"More like blackmail." Ben muttered. _  
_

Gia ignored him and kept going. "When we were kids, I wanted to learn how to play Tourney but Adam said no because, you know, I'm a girl. So I went to Ben and said, I would teach him how to dance if he taught me how to play Tourney."

"You play Tourney?" Jay perked up. He might have only been playing the sport a month but he was already Auradon Prep's best player hence the MVP achievement.

Gia nodded. "I haven't been able to put my Tourney skills into practice because there is no female Tourney team at all in Auradon."

"That is not fair." Carlos said in agreement.

"She's one of the best players I've ever had the privilege of training," Ben said. "The dance lessons however, came in handy."

"As they should," Belle said in agreement. "You can't be king without learning how to dance."

Mal thought back to Belle and Beast's story. She remembered the _Tale as Old as Time_ part of the story where they had danced the waltz in the ballroom of Adam's rundown castle.

"Gia's specialty is Latin. Ballroom she can give or take." Ben interrupted Mal's thoughts.

"That's what those were moves were? Latin dance moves?" Mal asked in amusement.

"Yep," Adam responded. "Gia is one of the best dancers in Auradon. She's even taught us oldies a few things." He smiled down at Belle who smiled.

"You also have magic!" Evie said gleefully.

Gia chuckled and nodded.

"How is that possible?" Mal asked, looking up at Ben. "You told us that most people in Auradon were just 'ordinary mortals'. Your words, not mine."

"I may have twisted the truth a little," Ben admitted sheepishly scratching the back his neck. "Gia was born mortal but I think it might be best for _her_ to explain." He turned to his old friend.

Gia nodded. "It's true, both my parents are mortal but when I was just over a year old, Fairy Godmother, with the approval of Adam and Belle gave me a magical locket that would give me the ability to wield magic. When I was old enough to understand, Belle and Adam sat me down and told me that when the time was right, my abilities would aid Ben when he became king."

"So that makes you what? His advisor?" Carlos asked.

"Exactly but I prefer the term, 'majordomo'."

Jay snorted. "Majordomo. Who are you? Zazu?" Mal elbowed him.

Ben chuckled.

"It's alright, Mal," Gia said kindly. "Jay does have a way with words." She shot Jay with a flirty look before returning to her calm demeanor. "Yes, I'm Ben's version of Zazu. Or rather Cogsworth."

"You're no dodo." Ben joked.

The others laughed.

"Gia, dear," Belle called. The kids turned to her. "The table, please."

"Oh." Gia turned to where the table had been sitting just minutes earlier and raised her hands. The table reappeared.

The villain kids turned to see that the stage had disappeared.

"Whoa!" Carlos said excitedly. "Awesome!"

Evie patted him on the arm as they retook their seats at the table.

For the rest of the night, the villain kids did most of the entertaining. They openly did mock impersonations of their parents.

" _Do you wanna be evil like me?"_ Mal mocked of her mother. _"I will finally get my revenge on Sleeping Beauty."_

Sniggers echoed around the table.

Gia smiled at the idea of Mal being brave enough to mock her mother, despite everything that Maleficent had put her through.

Ben laughed. In the short time he had known Mal, he had never seen her so relaxed. Maybe talking about her mother was a good thing for her.

The other VKs impersonated their parents too, each of them as funny as the last.

Jay impersonated his father after his defeat at Aladdin's hands so accurately that it was enough to be convincing.

Evie brought out her hand mirror and impersonated her mother trying to get the mirror to agree that she was fairest of them all.

Carlos impersonated his mother in one of her famous tantrums.

The royals enjoyed the entertainment. They had been so focused on keeping the villains in line that they hadn't considered just what their children thought of them.

By the time 9:30 came around, every being in the room was getting tired.

"I think it's time to retire for the night." Adam said with a yawn.

"I quite agree." Belle issued her own yawn as she and her family stood.

"Thank you for having us," Mal said on behalf of her friends. Her eyes turned to Ben who grinned.

"You are very welcome, Mal. It was a pleasure." Belle said with a kind smile.

"We should do this more often." Ben said, his gaze turning from Mal to his parents and foster sister.

"Most definitely." Gia nodded.

Jay led the VKs towards the door. He opened it and allowed Evie and Carlos to slip out before following them.

Ben felt his feet pulling him towards Mal who was lagging behind the others. He looked over his shoulder to see his parents and Gia deep in conversation. He headed out the door after his friends.

Carlos, Evie and Jay excused themselves, leaving Mal and Ben alone.

"I'll see you back in the dorm, yeah?" Evie called to Mal as the boys disappeared around the corner.

"Yeah."

Evie turned around and headed after Carlos and Jay.

Once Evie had disappeared, Mal turned to Ben. "Thank you for tonight." Ben pulled her close.

"Don't thank me. Thank my parents."

"If I ever get a moment alone with them, I'll be sure to." Mal smirked shyly.

Mal's head came to rest against his shoulder.

"Does my father still scare you?"

Mal pulled back so she could look Ben in the face. "Whoever said I was scared of him?"

"I've seen the look on your face whenever you see him. I know he can be a bit… humiliating."

"That's an understatement." Mal muttered as Ben planted another kiss to her forehead.

"Don't worry, you'll get use to him. Just don't make him angry."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Mal chuckled.

Ben pursed his lips. "You'd better. I think my mother likes you."

"What makes you think that?" Mal asked.

Ben shrugged. "I know my mother. If she didn't want to give you a chance, she wouldn't have agreed with my father to invite you here."

"Yeah true."

Ben gave Mal an affectionate squeeze causing her to giggle. "Go. You don't want Evie sending Jay and Carlos looking for you."

"I wanna stay." Mal pouted.

Ben grinned. "I want you to stay but…" he couldn't bring himself to finish.

"I know, I know. Curfew."

Ben nodded apologetically. "Plus, I don't think my parents would like it too much."

"And Gia too?"

"Don't mind her. She's always been protective of me. She's like a big sister to me."

"So much for the only child thing, huh?"

"I _am_ an only child. Biologically that is. Mom and dad adopted Gia. They love her like they love me." Ben pulled Mal back towards him.

Mal relaxed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you going to let me go back to my dorm before Evie calls security?"

Ben smiled slyly as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Mal's. "I wish I didn't need to." He whispered.

Mal wanted nothing more to stay with him but knew Evie would worry if she wasn't back in the dorm soon. "I love you." She whispered.

Ben smiled. "I love you too. Go," he let go of her. "Don't keep Evie waiting."

Mal backed up and started to head back to the dorms.

Ben watched as his girlfriend disappeared down the hall and around the corner, a smile lighting up his face.

* * *

Mal arrived back at her dorm room just as Evie was walking out of the bathroom.

"There you are." Evie said, relieved. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost."

Mal shook her head, a smile on her face.

"You thinking of Ben?" Evie smirked knowingly.

"When am I _not_ thinking of Ben?" Mal laughed as she sat down on her bed and undid her hair from the elaborate hairdo Evie hours ago.

"You're head over heels in love with him." Evie grinned.

Mal snorted. "You and your romantic thoughts, E."

"What? I'm being serious, M. You couldn't take your eyes off Ben all night and he couldn't take his off you. That's what _I_ call true love." Evie wasn't going to let up.

Mal sighed. Maybe Evie was right. "Fine! You're right."

Evie laughed as she pulled the blankets down on her bed and climbed in. "Told you so." She said.

Mal headed for the bathroom, eager to get the smell of perfume and hairspray off her person.

After ten minutes, Mal emerged from the bathroom dressed for bed. Evie's light was off, indicating she was asleep. Not wanting to wake her sleeping best friend, Mal tiptoed to her own bed, looking down at Ben's signet ring that still sat on her index finger. She slipped it off and sat it on her bedside table. Pulling back the covers, she climbed in and switched off the light.

* * *

Gia sat in her favorite armchair in Belle's private library, a book in her hands. She looked up when she heard the door open and close.

"Hey." Ben said.

"Hi," Gia greeted enthusiastically. "Tonight went well."

"Certainly did," Ben agreed, perching on the arm of her chair, his arms crossed. "I never thought mom and dad would accept the VKs so quickly."

"You spoke to your parents?" Gia asked, bookmarking her book.

"Yeah. Dad couldn't believe how polite they were."

"I guess the last month and a bit has taught them something about how we do things in Auradon. And by 'them' I mean the VKs."

"I think you're right." Ben said with a nod. There was a long moment of silence. "So, what did you think of the VKs?"

"They're interesting. I love how Evie is the sweetest of them all. Carlos is a little shy and Jay is just lovable."

Ben glared down at her. "You like him."

"I never said I didn't." Gia chuckled nervously.

Ben wanted to tease her further but decided not to. "So, what did you think of Mal?"

Gia thought carefully about what she was going to say next. "She's unique, that's for sure. It's obvious that she's the leader of the group and I saw the way she was looking at you."

Ben could feel his face growing hot. He might have been confident but when it came to his love life and talking about it with Gia, he found it uncomfortable.

"Oh." Ben bowed his head, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"It's alright. It's only natural you would look at her the same way."

"You _saw_ that?" Ben asked.

"I see a lot of things, Ben. I'm not _totally_ blind to love."

"You've been reading into mom and dad's love story again, haven't you?"

Gia shrugged. "Just going on instinct."

"What instinct?" Ben questioned with a snort.

"Ben, I know you better then most people. I know that when you set your mind to something, you won't let go until you do it. Your relationships are the same. Mal is _perfect_ for you."

"You know for someone who has _never_ had a boyfriend, you're pretty good at giving relationship advice."

Gia brushed his comment off. "I aim to please."

Ben sighed. "I just hope this doesn't come unraveled." He looked down at Gia sadly.

"It won't. Mal loves you. She'll stand by you."

"You make it sound so easy."

Gia looked up, a look of reassurance appearing on her face. "I might not know love myself but I know when it's genuine and your love for Mal is." She rose from her chair and pulled Ben into a tight hug.

Pulling back from their hug after a long moment, Gia and Ben exchanged smiles.

"I'd better get to bed," Ben walked toward the door before stopping and peering over his shoulder. "See you in the morning?"

Gia nodded and watched the young king leave. She issued a smile, glad she could have helped him sort out his feelings.

* * *

Evie awoke the next morning to a multitude of curses. She bolted upright to see Mal throwing clothes from her wardrobe again.

"Mal?" Evie wiped the sleep from her eyes just as an item of clothing landed on her bed. "What are you doing?"

"Gotta look good. Gotta look good." Mal muttered to no one in particular.

"Mal!"

Mal snapped out of her search and spun around to see Evie watching her. "Morning, E." she said, trying to sound upbeat.

"What are you doing?" Evie asked again, holding up the item of clothing that had landed on her bed just moments earlier.

"I gotta look good. I just got a text from Ben."

"Does this have to do with Gia and what happened last night?" Evie questioned, a perfectly shaped eyebrow shooting up her forehead.

Mal looked around nervously. "Maybe."

Evie pressed her lips together. "M," she sighed, placing a hand on Mal's shoulder. "Ben loves you and he's not going to care what you're wearing."

Mal didn't appear so sure. "Gia is just so… perfect. She has everything Ben could need in a queen. I'm nothing compared to her."

It took Evie a fraction of a second to realise what Mal was implying. "Are you jealous of Gia?"

Mal tried to cover her feelings over with a lie. "What? No! 'Course not."

Evie wasn't convinced. "You _are!_ "

"I'm not!" Mal exclaimed.

"You are. It's okay to be a little envious. You heard what Ben said yesterday. He and Gia have grown up together. They're brother and sister."

"Didn't you see their dance routine?" Mal exploded.

Evie looked at her, her demeanor as calm as they came. "Mal, Ben _adores_ you. He would never look at anyone else but you."

Mal felt her insides wanting to burst. She was so torn up. She knew Ben loved her but she couldn't help feeling paranoid. "What about the green flash of her eyes? She could be my mother in disguise."

"Now you're just being paranoid. Come here." Evie grabbed Mal by the arm and pulled her over to where Beast's spell glass sat; a little lizard lay snoozing in the morning sun.

"See? Your mom's still here." To prove her point, Evie stepped over to her vanity and grabbed her hand mirror. "Mirror, mirror in my hand, where is Lady Gia stationed?" she spoke. The mirror's surface shimmered and focused on Gia's location, revealing she was in an office somewhere inside Castle Beast, a pile of paperwork sitting off to the side. "She's working on paperwork."

Mal relaxed a little. "I suppose you're right."

"You have nothing to worry about." Evie looked at the clock. "You'd better get dressed. Ben will be here soon."

Needing no more encouragement, Mal grabbed the first thing she saw and pulled it on. In ten minutes she was ready; hair, makeup (thanks to Evie) and all.

There was a knock on the door. Mal's heart soared but dropped back into her stomach when it opened revealing Lonnie.

"Lonnie! Hi." Mal said trying to sound happy.

"Welcome back, girls." Mulan's daughter smiled, going to hug her two friends. "I am so sorry for not coming to see you yesterday. Things have been crazy since you left."

"Who told you we were back?" Evie asked.

"Doug." Lonnie answered. "I ran into him on the way to Chemistry yesterday afternoon and he told me."

Evie smiled at the mention of her half-dwarf boyfriend.

"Do Audrey and Chad know we're back?" Mal said, not bothering to hide her disgust at her own mention of the two snobbish royals.

"Not yet," Lonnie said. "They're going to get what's coming to them."

"What do you-?" Evie never got to finish her sentence, as there was another knock on the door. The door opened revealing Ben, Jay and Carlos.

Mal found herself practically throwing herself into Ben's arms as he entered the room.

"And a big good morning to you too." The king chuckled as he closed his arms around her.

"Morning Ben." Lonnie greeted.

"Morning Lonnie. Evie."

Evie nodded but said nothing. She was too busy basking in Mal's happiness.

It took a moment for anyone to notice that Dude hadn't accompanied the boys.

"Where's Dude?" Mal asked Carlos.

"He's off at the vet's." Carlos replied casually as if nothing was unusual about his canine companion's absence.

"Is he okay?" Evie asked.

"Yeah, he's just getting a check up. Nothing to worry about."

"So, who's got what first?" Lonnie asked, eager to get away from the subject of Dude.

I've got chemistry first." Evie said.

"I'm in your class," said Lonnie. "I'll come with you." She turned for the door, Evie at her heels.

"Catch up with you guys later?" Evie said trying to her friends.

"See you at lunch, Ev." Jay called to her just as she left the room.

"I've got gym." Jay said.

Mal hadn't noticed the duffel bag that hung from Jay's body until that moment. She knew Jay loved gym mainly because he could outdo Chad at just about everything.

"Catch you at lunch, Mal." Jay called as he headed out the door.

This left Ben, Mal and Carlos.

"I've got study I have to do in the library." Carlos said.

Mal snorted. "What study? You haven't been here for a week. How can you have study?"

"Not _school_ study _. Dog training_ study."

"What are you planning to do with dog training?" Ben asked curiously.

Carlos pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his jacket pocket and unfolded it, revealing a dog training competition flyer.

"A dog training competition?" Mal said.

Carlos nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I thought it would be good to show people that Dude isn't just the campus mutt and that even a De Vil can be a friend to dogs."

Ben grinned encouragingly.

"Good luck with that, Carl." Mal said hoping her words were encouraging enough for her second best male friend.

"Thanks. I better get going. Jane said she'd help me."

Mal and Ben didn't miss the red flush that appeared on Carlos' face at the mention of the Fairy Godmother's daughter. "See you both at lunch." Carlos all but bolted out the door, wanting to get away from the question Mal had been about to ask.

"Does he have a crush on Jane?" Mal wondered out loud.

Ben laughed. He released Mal a little so that she could turn and face him. "What have you got first?" he asked.

"English." Mal's answer was automatic, like her mouth was on autopilot.

"I'll walk you. I've got to go to the library anyway." Ben said with a cheeky smile.

"What, your mother's private library not up to scratch?" Mal teased.

"The castle's noisy at this time of morning," Ben shrugged. "Every morning at the exact same time, Cogsworth and Lumière are fighting over some trivial thing. My father constantly has to break the argument up. I can't focus at home while all that's going on."

"You don't have private tutors or something now that you're king?"

"Nope," Ben shook his head. "If I did, I wouldn't be here with you now."

"Good point. Care to take to me to class before the bell goes?"

"With pleasure." Ben released Mal long enough for her to walk over to her bed to grab her bag.

Walking back over to her king of a boyfriend, Mal pulled her bag onto her back and took his hand, allowing him to pull her out of the room and towards her English class.

* * *

By the time lunchtime rolled around, Jay was hungry. There was nothing like a gym class to get the ball rolling. Having grown up on the Isle of the Lost, Jay had pretty much fought for scraps of food in order to live another day but here in Auradon, he could eat whatever he wanted.

Reaching the cafeteria, he grabbed a lunch tray and joined the ever-growing line of students, eager for today's lunchtime menu. Jay liked the fact that no one had to fight over the food on offer, as there was plenty for all.

Jay piled his tray high with everything available. He was _that_ hungry. He had never known what it was like to have a full stomach until he arrived in Auradon. Leaving the line, he went to find the others.

It didn't take the son of Jafar long to find his fellow VKs. They were sitting at their usual table just outside the cafeteria. He spotted Evie touching up her makeup sitting with Mal who had her back to him. Ben and Doug, their boyfriends were nowhere in sight which was odd. Carlos hadn't arrived yet as he had gone to pick up Dude from the vet.

"Hey girls," Jay greeted. "How was class?"

"The usual." Mal shrugged as Jay sat next to her.

"No Ben or Doug?" Jay picked up his Nectar burger and took a bite.

"No," Evie sighed. "Doug had to catch up on chemistry homework."

"And Ben's up to his ears in paperwork." Jay could tell from Mal's tone that she was disappointed.

"He's only been king two weeks and he's already getting bucket loads of work? Jesus." Jay sighed. "How is he juggling that and his school work? Tutors?"

"Nope. Not tutors. He's smart," said Mal. "He's juggling both the only way he knows how."

"And what's that?" Evie asked.

"By grinning and baring it."

No one had a chance to reply as Carlos had finally arrived, carrying Dude who had an Elizabethan collar around his neck.

"Whoa," said Evie as Carlos sat done beside her. "What happened to Dude?"

"He had to be…" he gulped. "Desexed."

The other three looked at him.

"You mean neutered?" Mal asked lowering her voice.

Carlos nodded, his face going white.

"Why?" Jay stared at him.

"He was taking advantage of the female dogs at the vet clinic."

"How long does he have to wear that thing? It's not exactly attractive." Evie said dully.

"It's not my fault he likes to do it with the ladies of his species." Carlos muttered.

"Eww!" shrieked Evie. "Not at lunch please."

Jay and Mal had to bow their heads to hide their smirks.

"Hey guys," said Lonnie as she approached the table, carrying her own tray of food. "How's your first day back going?"

"Oh, you know, the normal stuff." Mal said with a shrug.

"I take it Ben and Doug aren't joining us?" Lonnie asked as she sat down beside Jay.

Mal and Evie shook their heads.

"Being king isn't something I would want to be," Lonnie said. "He'll cope."

Mal wasn't comforted by Lonnie's words. With Ben now king, it meant he would probably spend much of his time tending to his royal duties. She understood the pressures that Ben must have been feeling. She herself had been pressured by her mother to be evil. Now Ben was being forced to grin and bare the reality of living up to his parents' legacy as monarch on his own.

"I'm sure he will." Mal put on a brave face, hoping Lonnie couldn't see through her façade.

"What happened to Dude?" Lonnie asked, looking down at the little dog that lay in Carlos' lap.

"He had to be neutered." Carlos said uncomfortably.

"Oh, poor thing." Lonnie frowned. "Hey, my mom's coming around campus later today to help Mrs. Potts with tomorrow's bake sale. I was hoping you guys would like to meet her."

"Mulan, right?" Evie said.

"Right. You'll love her. She's really cool. For a mom that is." Lonnie said adding an afterthought

"Yeah, that would be cool. It's not everyday the offspring of villains get to meet the heroes that made their parents' lives hell." Jay smiled at the thought.

Lonnie ignored the last part of Jay's comment. "She should be here at about 3pm in the cafeteria."

The friends watched as Chad and Audrey walked by, totally ignorant to the fact that the VKs had returned to Auradon Prep.

"What's the goss on Audrey and Chad?" Evie asked, jerking a finger at the ignorant duo.

"The normal. They're all over each other. Audrey's come up with pet names for Chad like she did with Ben. Awful really." Lonnie shook her head. "I mean, 'Benny Boo' and 'Benny Bear' were bad enough."

"They obviously haven't even noticed that we're back." Mal said darkly. "I hope it stays that way."

"I wouldn't provoke them," Lonnie warned. "Queen Leah still has it out for Ben for allowing you guys to come here in the first place."

"He wanted to give us a second chance," Mal argued. "He's the King of Auradon. He can do whatever the hell he wants."

"I know that and so do many others but there are some heroes and their children who don't share Ben's views."

"A king leads by example," Carlos added. "Others should be learning to agree with him, not oppose him."

Lonnie nodded in agreement. "Not everyone thinks Ben's ready to reign as king."

"What's your view on the subject?" Mal wanted to know.

"I've known Ben since kindergarten and he's always struck me as the type of guy who wants the best for everyone. That's a quality that a king must have. He's a good king and have always believed he'd do the job justice."

"You know a lot about this kind of thing." Mal said curiously.

Lonnie smiled. "I should. My uncles are married to the Emperor of China's daughters."

"Uncles?" Evie frowned. "I thought both your parents were only children."

"Oh, they are. My uncles are actually my godfathers. They've been good friends to my parents since their time in the Chinese Army. In other words, the Hun Invasion of China."

Carlos thought for a second. "Your uncles are Chien Po, Yao and Ling, right?"

"That's right. They practically helped mom and dad raise me. Anyway, my point is, don't let Chad and Audrey get under your skin. The more you let them get to you, the more they'll harass you."

The VKs bowed their heads and continued to eat.

The rest of lunch went by much quicker then anyone would have liked and before any of them knew, it was time to get back to class.

The bell rang just as the group dumped their trays in the tray return inside the cafeteria.

"3pm still good to meet my mom?" Lonnie asked before the group dispersed.

"Yeah, all good." Mal said with a confident nod.

Lonnie smiled and headed towards the gym. "See you guys there!"

"Remedial Goodness 101 here we come." Mal said linking arms with Jay and Carlos once Lonnie had disappeared.

Evie stepped to Carlos' side and linked arms with him.

* * *

Ben hated meetings as much as he hated completing paperwork. Worst yet, he hated Council of Sidekicks meetings. He always remembered the first time his father had put him in charge of a meeting like this. It hadn't gone exactly as planned. To make things worse, Gia wasn't with him to calm things down.

The Lady of Auradon had volunteered to help Belle take down ingredients to the cafeteria kitchen for Mrs. Potts and Mulan to use that afternoon for the next day's bake sale.

Ben remembered what Gia had told him before she had left him to cope with the meeting.

" _Trust in yourself and you'll be fine. Just think like a sidekick would."_ That hadn't exactly been useful. Ben had used that piece of advice before and it had backfired on him. Horribly.

Cinderella's mice friends who had been in human form just a day earlier when Gia had visited Cinderella, were now back in their mouse forms. Ben still couldn't work out why Fairy Godmother had cast a spell like that on them.

"All rise for King Ben." Announced Cogsworth. The council stood as the doors opened and Ben walked in.

Ben took a deep breath. He had to stay focused. This was the first meeting he'd had with the Council of Sidekicks since he'd became king.

"Welcome all to today's Council of Sidekicks meeting."

Across the table, Grumpy yawned. "Boring." Doug's uncle complained. "Remind us again why Beast had his son become king at sixteen?"

Perdita the Dalmatian barked in protest. _"Grumpy! Please be nice. This is Ben's first meeting as king."_

Grumpy rolled his eyes. "Never trust a mutt. That's all I'm sayin'."

Next to his mate, Pongo snarled in warning at the dwarf.

"Now, now Grumpy. Can you please keep your opinions to yourself just this once?" Doc asked his brother kindly.

"Humph." Grumpy looked away. The dwarf didn't like being told what to do by anyone.

Ben couldn't believe Doug had so many uncles with so many different personalities. He turned to give Perdy a thankful smile. He didn't want to stuff this up again. His father would probably ground him and throw him in the West Wing if he didn't get through this meeting successfully. Could Beast still do that? Did young kings get grounded?

Shaking himself mentally, Ben focused on those around the table.

Sleeping Beauty's good fairy friends were looking more comfortable then they had last time. Pongo was still growling under his breath at Grumpy. Lumière and Cogsworth were trying not get wet as they wheeled the tank containing Ariel's sisters and her friend Flounder into the room. Cinderella's mice friends were standing on the table rather then on a pile of books like they had last time.

Doug's father Dopey and Doug's uncles shifted uncomfortably at the prospect of another argument like last time.

Genie, Jafar's biggest enemy was sitting silently with the fairies. He was in his human form, which was always a bonus.

"Shall we begin?" Ben asked, once the council's full attention was on him.

"By all means, kid." Genie said with a smile. Of everyone in this room that wasn't a servant of Beast's, Genie was the most understanding. After all, he was the genie and friend of Sultan Aladdin of Agrabah and his daughter Jordan was a friend of Ben's, dating all the way to Pre-School.

"So today's agenda is as follows," Ben looked down at the list in front of him. "The moving of castle interiors," the young king frowned. Whoever had requested this topic had to be crazy. "Servant and sidekick wages (again), and last but not least, the first group of Villain kids." Ben's face fell. That couldn't be good. Why would the Sidekicks council want to talk about the VKs?

The conversation about castle interior went on for about a half hour. Who really cared about what curtains went where or where in the castle it was best to put a stain glass window? Ben certainly didn't. Sure, there was a reference to a stain glass window in his parents' story but he was the next generation. He wasn't about to turn into a beast for misbehaving and being bratty. That was all Adam. Ben was too much like Belle to be bratty.

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Ben said. He'd only been half-listening.

"Can we move onto our next item?" Flounder blubbered.

A couple of Ariel's sisters nodded in agreement with their famous sister's fishy friend.

"Okay, item two on our agenda is servant and sidekick wages." This topic would be a breeze as it was a topic that had been discussed last time.

"Ah, yes," Genie sighed. "We sidekicks, if you can even call half of us that, don't get enough praise let alone cash for our efforts."

Merryweather nodded in agreement. "Alas, Genie is right. My sisters and I raised Aurora and not once were we give praise or wages for our efforts."

The good fairies had raised Audrey's mother as their own child. They had taught her how to be a princess and when the time came, how to be a queen but this hadn't been enough as her own daughter had become self-obsessed and vain. The fairies loved Audrey but they had to agree with most who knew the princess. She was a spoilt brat.

" _Yes,"_ barked Pongo. _"Perdy and I have raised all our puppies to adulthood and we have not been paid for being the 'sidekicks' of the story while the pups, Roger, Anita, Cruella, Horace and Jasper have all been paid handsomely."_

"Excuse me, Pongo," Ben said. "Cruella and her henchmen weren't paid handsomely for being some of the main attractions of the story."

" _How do you know that?"_ Questioned Perdita.

Ben gulped. How was he going to explain the touchy subject of Cruella's son with Pongo and Perdita? "Well, remember my first official proclamation?" He felt his chest go tight when both Dalmatians nodded. "Well, one of the four villainous offspring I chose was…" Ben felt his throat close up, forcing him to croak out the final part of his statement. "Cruella's son."

The room was deathly silent. Each of the dwarfs was staring at him, their jaws practically hanging on the ground. The fairies had gone white in the face. Genie looked uncomfortable. Flounder and Ariel's sisters had torn their gazes away from Ben. The mice simply stood there, staring out into space. Pongo and Perdy had dropped to the ground, their paws over their eyes and they were whimpering.

"What?" Ben asked, unsure as to why the council was so frightened of this new revelation. "You all know that the four I chose were successfully redeemed."

" _After_ they tried to nab Fairy Godmother's wand." Genie was the first to speak. "Look kid, we understand why you're trying to redeem the villainous offspring, we do but some things just don't change."

Ben struggled to keep Genie's comment from getting to him. Taking a deep breath, he stated his case. "I understand why you're all wary but it did work. Look at the Auradon Prep Tourney team; we have not won as many games in years. Jay is the reason why we won those games," the king looked at Genie. "He's also the son of Jafar."

Genie pursed his lips together, trying to bite back a sarcastic remark.

"Back to Cruella's son," Ben turned his attention back to the Dalmatians. "Carlos is nothing like his mother. When I met him, he was _afraid_ of dogs. He said that his mother told him dogs were vicious pack animals. He befriended the campus mutt, Dude with my help."

Pongo and Perdy looked at each other.

Ben's next statement was aimed at the dwarfs. "Evie is totally different to her mother."

"Have you been livin' under a rock, kid?" Grumpy exclaimed. "The Evil Queen _tried_ to _kill_ Snow White."

"Yes, I know that, Grumpy," Ben said, his frustration beginning to show. "I know the story. Sure, Evie _use_ to think of herself as the fairest of them all but she's a lot more then a pretty face. She's friendly and outgoing and is willing to protect those she cares about." Ben then turned to Dopey. "Oh, and she's dating Doug."

Ben looked away before he could catch the look of shock on the faces of Dopey and his brothers. He then turned to the good fairies.

Merryweather looked at her sisters. They knew they were in Ben's firing range now.

"Ladies, I know you have your past with Maleficent. I know she tried to kill Aurora with her spinning wheel. I know Philip 'killed' her but Maleficent's daughter isn't like Maleficent at all." The fairies stared at him, unsure of what to say. Ben continued. "She's sweet, selfless and stood up to her mother." Ben could hear the pride and love in his voice and apparently so could everyone else in the room. Ignoring them, Ben continued once more. "Mal is not Maleficent. Yes, they share a name but what does that matter? Plus, I'm in love with her." Ben stood his ground.

The fairies fainted.

"You're _dating_ her?" Ben turned to see Doc staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I am the king. I can date whomever I choose." Ben was angry now. Seething in fact. No one insulted Mal or her friends and got away with it.

From their place at the wall, Lumière and Cogsworth watched on, unsure of whether they should intervene. They both had great respect for Ben and could see the reasons behind his decisions. They could also see his love for Mal like they had been able to see Beast's love for Belle all those years ago.

"Children are never their parents," Ben said through gritted teeth. "Why can't any of you see that?"

"We don't mean any disrespect, Ben," one of Ariel's sisters said. "But do you truly think that redeeming the children from the Isle of the Lost is worth it? How do you know that the four currently here won't stab you in the back?"

Ben had heard enough. "That's it! Meeting adjourned!"

The sidekicks stared at him.

"You can't-" Happy started to say.

"OUT!" Ben yelled.

The sidekicks scrambled to their feet and left the room as quickly as their legs would carry them. None of them spoke. The only people that reminded were Lumière and Cogsworth.

Once the sidekicks were out of the room, the plump little Englishman and the tall Frenchman approached their young king and friend.

"You did well lad," Lumière praised. "Your father would be proud."

Ben didn't respond to Lumière's praise. He was standing, leaning over the table, his hands gripping the edge. His knuckles had gone white. "All I wanted," he said darkly. "Was to make a difference. No one is willing to give the VKs a go especially after what happened at Family Day. Queen Leah really put her foot in it." He turned his head to see Cogsworth looking at him sympathetically.

"I know its hard Ben," Cogsworth in his clipped British accent. "But that's what being king is about. I remember when your father first became King of Auradon." He pulled up a seat on Ben's left. Lumière took the right side of Ben. Ben sat back in his seat, his fingers loosening their hold on the table. "The first meeting your father called was anything but perfect. Someone said something insulting and it set him off in one of his famous fits of anger"

"It was _that_ bad?" Ben asked.

"Yes," Lumière said with a sincere nod. "After the meeting, your father locked himself in the West Wing for two full weeks. He felt he had failed as a king and that someone else was should have been king instead of him."

"So what happened? How did you get him to come out?" Ben asked.

"A _lot_ of persuasion and you know how difficult it is to get your father to agree to _anything_."

Ben nodded.

"We know you've only been king a few weeks but it is going to take a lot longer to stand up to the council. _Any_ council that you will deal with as king. Just don't let their opinions on your proclamations get to you. Not everyone will agree with them." Cogsworth advised.

Ben understood now why Cogsworth had been his father's majordomo. He had the patience of a saint and knew how to calm his father down when he got worked up.

"Now my boy," Lumière said, forcing Ben to turn to look at him. "Your mother wishes to see you."

"Thanks you guys. It means a lot. I know now why Dad kept you both around for so many years."

Cogsworth and Lumière laughed, both patting Ben on the back.

"Off you go, boy." Cogsworth said.

Ben got up and headed for the door, not looking back at his parents' two old friends.

* * *

 **A/N:** _So that's chapter 2. Lumière, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip will pop up at various times throughout the story. As will a number of the CLASSIC sidekicks both hero and villain._

 _To be Continued..._


	3. Not Queen Material

**A/N:** _Chapter 3 is by far the longest chapter I have written for anything ever. Originally, the chapter was over 15,000 words and I could only cut it down by a little under 1,000 words. This chapter introduces Mulan and allow me to explain. I always felt that when it came to the VKs being in Auradon, they only had Belle and Fairy Godmother as their 'mother' figures and very early on, I had this idea on including Mulan but I wasn't sure how to introduce her as another mother figure for the VKs. I remember thinking back the scene in the movie where Lonnie unknowingly tastes the love potion laced cookie dough that is meant for Ben and her telling the VKs about how her mother would make her cookies when she's sad and that triggered the inspiration. This chapter also introduces Mrs. Potts and Mushu who both have reoccurring roles in the story._

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Not Queen Material**

* * *

At 2.50pm, Mal and her friends headed towards the cafeteria.

While they were excited to be able to meet a hero that actually believed in redemption, they were also afraid of what Mulan's reaction might be. Not all heroes were accepting. They had learnt that with Queen Leah, Aurora, Philip and Charming the hard way. Not that they had met the parents of Audrey and Chad.

" _There you guys are!"_ came Lonnie's relieved voice.

The VKs grinned at the sight of their friend. They didn't fail to notice the woman that was with her. She could have been an older version of Lonnie.

The woman carried a woven cane basket full of cake decorations.

"Guys, allow me to introduce my mother, Li Fa Mulan." Lonnie said with a proud smile.

"You must be the VKs Lonnie has told me to about," Mulan said with a warm smile. "Welcome back to Auradon."

"Mom, allow me to introduce, Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos," Lonnie said, indicating each of her friends in turn. "The children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella De Vil."

Mulan nodded. "It is-"

" _Ah! It's so stuffy in here!"_ Came a shrill voice from the basket.

Carlos shrieked in alarm.

A little red dragon poked his head up.

"Mushu?" Lonnie said in surprise, holding out her hand so the little dragon could climb on. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." Mulan said, unimpressed that her guardian and friend had hitched a ride.

"What? I had to see my little Lonnie." Mushu said sweetly.

"You shouldn't be here, Mushu." Mulan scolded her little friend.

The VKs watched the exchange between Lonnie, her mother and their little friend.

Mushu noticed the others watching them with interest. "Ah, ladies." He pointed over to where the VKs were watching.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Mushu, the Li-Fa family guardian." Lonnie held up her hand so the VKs could see Mushu.

"Aww!" cooed Evie. "He's so cute!"

"Excuse me?" said Mushu in annoyance. "I am a guardian! I am not cute!"

Evie yelped. "Sorry."

Mushu nodded, satisfied.

Lonnie and Mulan issued the little dragon disgruntled looks before Lonnie placed Mushu on her shoulder. As she did so, a short woman rushed out of the kitchen.

"Oh, Mulan dear, thank goodness you are here. I am up to my ears in cookie dough."

Mulan laughed. "I'll be right there, Mrs. Potts."

Mrs. Potts disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Are any of you bakers?" Mulan asked the villain kids.

"Yeah, we all are." Mal said with a smile.

Mulan smiled, nodded and led the way into the kitchen.

Mal smiled and marched after her, her friends and Lonnie not far behind.

"Where do we start?" Evie asked eagerly once the group had entered the kitchen.

"You must be the VKs Ben mentioned. Welcome dears. I'm Mrs. Potts." Mrs. Potts said warmly.

"You're Chip's mother." Mal grinned.

"So, you've met my little Chip."

"Yeah, He's not so little anymore." Carlos put in.

Mrs. Potts smiled. "I will always see him as my little boy."

"I'm Mal, by the way." Mal said.

"And I'm Carlos." Carlos added.

"Ah, Ben mentioned you both. I take it that the long-headed fellow is Jay and the blue-haired girl is Evie?" Mrs. Potts asked indicating both Jay and Evie with her wooden spoon.

"Yep." Carlos nodded.

" _Alright, kids."_ Mulan said.

Mrs. Potts, Mal and Carlos turned to see Mulan standing with a large metal bowl in her hands.

"We have all afternoon to make batches of cookies, cakes, slices and whatever else for tomorrow's bake sale. Do you think we can do it?"

"We can do this," Jay said encouragingly. "If we work together."

Mal beamed. She couldn't believe Jay was the same guy who had once been her partner-in-crime on the Isle of the Lost. He had taken up senior position in their little group of former misfits. He was the one who encouraged everyone whenever they had lost their courage. Mal thought that maybe playing Tourney and learning what it meant to work as part of a team had really made him go soft. Mal had to admit to herself that she liked this new and improved version of Jay far better then the old one.

"Wise words, uh…" Mulan said.

"Jay."

"Wise words, Jay. I take it you're the brains of this little group?"

"No, that would be me," Mal raised her hand a little. "I'm the brain. Jay's the brawn."

"It's good to see that a girl is taking on a leadership role. What's your name my dear?"

"Mal, Mrs. Li."

Mulan chuckled. "Just call me Mulan. I never officially took on my husband's name."

"I thought you did." Lonnie frowned at her mother.

Mulan shook her head. "I only use the Li name when I have to."

Lonnie shrugged and started to line a baking tray with paper.

"It's always good to have a few sets of extra hands," Mulan said looking over at the counter, where a pile of paper-lined baking trays sat, ready to be used.

"Let's get started." Mal said picking up a metal bowl.

* * *

Ben was still seething from his meeting with the Council of Sidekicks. He was sitting in the office that once been his father's while his mother sat opposite him.

"You can't snap at the sidekicks like that, darling." Belle scolded him.

"What else was I meant to do, mom?" Ben protested stubbornly. "I couldn't just sit back and listen to them denote all my hard work over the last six weeks."

Belle could understand her son's frustrations. "I understand that, Ben, but you have to be careful. Whatever happens in any meeting you have with any of the councils will reflect on how well you can rule Auradon."

Ben sighed. "Sorry, mom its just," he licked his lips. "After Audrey and Chad set that rumor up, I've just been so focused on bringing the VKs back that I lost sight of how this might affect everybody else."

Belle nodded. "Sweetheart, I know how hard you have worked to get people to accept Mal and her friends but there are going to be those who will _never_ accept them."

Ben looked over at his mother helplessly. "I know that mom, but…" He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Instead, he fell against the back of his chair, defeated.

Belle got up from her chair and went to give her son a hug. "You want to know something that I've never told anyone?"

"What?" Ben asked as he hugged his mother back.

"I know it might seem that your father and I are beloved leaders but there are those who _still_ doubt us. When your father became king, there were those who were opposed to a former beast being king."

"Why?"

Belle shrugged. "They probably saw him as too foul-tempered to rule due to the way he use to treat everybody."

"Like the Enchantress that cursed him?" Ben guessed.

"That's right."

"But _I'm_ not cursed."

"I know you're not but you were under the effects of a love spell."

Ben blinked. "You knew?"

Belle laughed. "Of course I did. You did things you wouldn't normally do. Bursting into song on the Tourney field being one of them. You would also mutter Mal's name in your sleep."

Ben was mortified at his own actions. "I did that?" His mother gave him a sympathetic nod. "Oh, man. I do have it bad for her. Or I did." He frowned uncertainly.

"You love her. It's only natural. You know, when I met your father, we didn't fall in love straight away."

"You didn't?"

"No. I thought your father was a self-centred bully who wanted nothing more then to scare people. He blamed other people for what _he_ became."

"When it was entirely his own fault?" Ben concluded questioningly.

"Exactly. I then realized, after spending time with Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Lumière and the other members of his staff, that he was a tortured soul. He needed to learn how to love. I was able to teach him that. After the curse was broken, we lived together until he turned twenty-eight, we got married and I think you know the rest of the story from there."

"What's the moral of the story?"

"I think you know."

Ben looked uncertain.

Belle sighed. "The moral of the story is, your love for Mal is very similar to that of mine and your father's except Mal is the beast and there is no transformation or curse."

Ben thought it over. He and Mal were a bit like his parents. "You're right, mom." He said.

"About what, dear?"

"Mal and I _are_ like you and dad. I could see Mal's struggle for a new purpose in life like you saw dad's struggles. Are we the modern day version of you and him?"

Belle pondered on this for a moment. "Maybe, maybe not. But Ben, you don't need to follow the path your father and I took. Forge your own story, your own fate."

Of all the adults in his life, Ben was closest to his mother. She understood him in ways his father did not. While Adam always encouraged Ben to do his best, it was Belle that had taught him to follow his heart. He had done that. He had the girl of his dreams who just so happened to be the daughter of Maleficent. He understood now why the sidekicks had been edgy and uptight. Who knew what would happen when he called a meeting with the representative council?

If there was one thing Mal had taught him it was to expect the unexpected. He had after all, fallen in love with a villain's daughter. Maybe the representative council would react differently. Who really knew? Some part of him wanted to know but the other part of him didn't.

"Thanks, mom." He rose from his seat and kissed his mother on the cheek.

Belle smiled warmly at her son. "My pleasure, my darling, now go have a bit of fun."

Ben scoffed. "I'm the king. Kings aren't meant to have fun."

Belle chuckled. "You might be king now, Ben, but you're still at school and you're still a teenager. You deserve to have as much freedom as possible. The real work begins when you're eighteen."

"I get two years of freedom. Great." Ben said sarcastically.

Belle laid a hand on Ben's cheek. "Go. If you're looking to spend time with Mal, I would suggest checking the cafeteria kitchens."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"She and her friends are helping Lonnie, Mulan and Mrs. Potts with tomorrow's bake sale."

 _The bake sale! Of course! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ Ben mentally scolded himself.

He knew how much Mal loved to bake especially after the love potion laced cookie incident and the incident with Evie's exploding cupcakes. Audrey hadn't been too happy to be splattered with cupcake.

"I'd better get going then." Ben smiled and headed for the door.

"Have fun." Belle called after him.

"Will do!"

* * *

Mal looked around the kitchen. To her amazement it had only taken a couple of hours to get the cookies made.

The group had just moved onto the cupcakes. Mal remembered the incident at the Heroes and Heroines carnival just before she and her friends had been sent back the island where Evie had made awful cupcakes. Evie had gone to her begging her to help her fix them. Mal had cast a spell but had been unable to finish it, with the result being utterly disastrous with Audrey looking like some fairy had thrown up on her. It hadn't been a pretty sight.

Mal reached for a square baking tin when she felt her vision go black. _"Guess who."_ A voice whispered in her ear. She giggled.

"Ah, Jay?"

" _Nope. Guess again."_

"Hmm… Carlos?" Mal guessed again.

"No."

Mal's vision returned. She turned to see Ben standing behind her, a huge smile on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings all this afternoon."

"Nah. Let's just say my meeting with the Council of Sidekicks didn't go too well."

Aww," Mal placed a hand to his cheek. "Poor thing."

Ben grinned.

"Oh, Ben! Welcome to our chaotic kitchen, dear." Mrs. Potts said as she rushed back into the kitchen, carrying a load of large takeaway containers.

"Hi Mrs. Potts. I see you've met my girlfriend, Mal."

Mrs. Potts looked startled for a moment but quickly recovered. "Oh! So this is the girlfriend you've talked so openly about." She issued Mal a kind smile. "Welcome to the royal family, my dear. I have heard some very good things about you."

"You have?" Mal frowned.

Mrs. Potts nodded. "You stood up to your mother. That takes courage." The kind woman turned to Ben. "You ought to be very proud of her."

Ben beamed proudly at Mal before kissing her on the cheek. "I am very proud of her. She chose good over evil which, like you said, takes courage."

"As long as you're happy, Ben. That's all I care for." Mrs. Potts gave Ben a motherly smile.

"Thanks Mrs. P. Do you need another set of hands?"

"The more the merrier."

Mrs. Potts disappeared around the corner.

Ben stepped to Mal's right and grabbed a bowl of all ready-made cupcake mix.

Mal watched in astonishment as Ben poured the cupcake mix into their individual cupcake holders. "Whoa." She said in amazement. "I didn't know you could cook."

"I can't. When I was young, mom use to help Mrs. Potts in the kitchen and I use to sit and watch them for hours. Half the time, we ended up eating what we made. Though, some of it ended up on the walls."

" _Mal? You got some of the cupcake mix done, sweetie?"_ Mulan called. Lonnie's mother re-entered the kitchen. "Ben!" she said in surprise.

"Hi Mulan," Ben chuckled as he stepped over to hug her.

"Oh congratulations, darling. I am so sorry Shang and I missed your coronation. We did, however get to watch it on TV back in China."

"That's alright. There's not really much to tell."

Mulan snorted. "Not much to tell? Ben, there was plenty to tell. Maleficent's near takeover. Mal and her friends choosing good over evil. I think that's pretty eventful."

A moment later, Mushu appeared.

"Hi Mushu." Ben grinned down at the little dragon.

"Hi kid. Or should I say Your Majesty." The little dragon did a sweeping bow.

Ben's cheeks reddened.

"Easy does it, Mush," Mal said offering Mushu a ride on her hand. "Benny-Boo doesn't like flattery." She flashed Ben with a smirk as she placed Mushu on her shoulder.

"Please don't tell me you use that pet name for the kid too." Mushu groaned. "First that airheaded, self-absorbed daughter of Sleeping Beauty and now you."

"Don't worry, Mushu," Ben reassured. "Mal only uses it when she teases me. She's not Audrey. Not even in the slightest." He gave Mal a smug look.

"Good," Mulan said as she placed Ben's tray of cupcakes in the oven. "Audrey loves herself. Why did you even date her to start with?"

"I did love her at some point but I think she loved herself a little too much. Half the time she wouldn't even listen to me."

Mulan immediately regretted asking her question. She had watched Ben grow up with Lonnie and knew that he had a good heart and could very rarely say no to anyone.

"Hey Ben." Lonnie greeted as she entered the space.

"Hi Lon." Ben greeted in return.

"Mom, Carlos and Jay are finished with the caramel cupcakes and Mrs. Potts and Evie are just starting on the slices."

"Great." Mulan checked her watch. "We're ahead of schedule. Always a good thing."

By the end of the afternoon, the group of bakers had baked more goods when they had originally thought.

"Well done, everybody." Mrs. Potts breathed a sigh of relief as she observed the boxes.

The kids gathered together to admire their work.

"We did good." Carlos was practically watering at the mouth.

"Keep the drool in your mouth, dude," Jay chuckled, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "We get the leftovers, right?"

"We'll see," Mulan said. "I have a sneaking suspicion that this bake sale is going to be a hit." She snuck a look over at Lonnie who grinned.

The others watched the mother-daughter moment unfold.

For Evie and Mal, seeing Lonnie and Mulan bond made them feel a little envious. They hadn't had close relationships with their own mothers. Carlos bowed his head, as he hadn't either.

"I think we have completed everything," Mrs. Potts said, snapping Mal, Carlos and Evie from their daze. "Thank you, my dears for all your help this afternoon."

"Our pleasure, Mrs. P." said Jay.

Mrs. Potts beamed before stacking and carrying the containers out of the kitchen.

"Dinner's in twenty minutes, if anyone's interested." Ben said.

"Mmm… food." Carlos drawled. "We're in." He headed out the door and into the main part of the cafeteria with Evie, Jay and Lonnie in tow.

"You both ought to get ready for dinner." Mulan said to Ben and Mal as she placed a few of the baking trays in the dishwasher.

Ben gave Mal's hand a squeeze before he headed towards the door of the kitchen. He stopped when he realised Mal wasn't behind him. "You coming?"

"Yeah, give me a second." Mal called to him.

Ben nodded and disappeared out of the door.

"Ah, Mulan?" Mal said hesitantly.

"Mal?"

Mal bit her lip, unsure of how to continue. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Mulan put what she was holding in the dishwasher before going to lean against the counter, gesturing for Mal to join her.

Mal did as she was told and leaned against the counter next to Lonnie's mother.

"Now, what is it you wish to ask me?" Mulan asked kindly.

"I know I just met you and I don't mean to pry, but what was it like to be in the army?"

Mulan didn't seem surprised by Mal's question. "It was a little strange as there were no women in the army at the time. Growing up, I was a girl in a small Chinese town where everybody knew everybody. I didn't have any experience with men. My family wanted to me to find a good husband so that I could bear him sons. It was the norm in those days. When my father was conscripted to the army, I didn't want to lose him as he was frail so I jumped at the chance to take his place."

"By pretending to be a man." Mal said, recalling the story she had heard.

"That's right," Mulan nodded. "I had no idea what I was doing. I only had my faithful horse Khan with me when I left home."

"Where does Mushu come in?"

Mulan chuckled.

"Mushu came in a little later just before I entered the army camp. He had with him my family's 'good luck' charm Cri-Kee the Cricket that my grandmother had 'tested' the morning of my fateful trip to the Matchmaker."

"Didn't the story say that you met Lonnie's dad in the army?" Mal asked curiously.

"Yes, the story is quite accurate. I did meet my husband in the army. He was the Captain of the Chinese army. His father had assigned him the title before he left to face the Huns. At the time, he had no idea I was a woman. He thought I was the most clumsy, most crazy man he'd ever met. Mushu was constantly on my back about covering my tracks as a woman. I should have listened to him."

"So what happened?"

"After I was injured during an attack by the Huns, I was revealed to be a woman and Shang left me alone in the snow with my companions. After a few of the Huns resurfaced, I raced, along with Mushu and Cri-Kee to the Imperial City where I tried to convince people that the Huns weren't dead. I was proven right when the Huns kidnapped the Emperor of China and took the palace under siege."

"Now, that right there is a good kidnapping scheme." Mal blurted.

Mulan gave her a pointed look but didn't reprimand her. She knew the teenager didn't mean what she was saying. She was still adjusting to a life of good.

"Sorry," yelped Mal. "It just slipped out."

"It's okay, Mal. I know you didn't mean to say it. Do you want me to continue the story?"

"Yes, please." Mal said eagerly.

"Okay, so there was a massive fight to save the Emperor and China and the Huns were defeated. Thinking back on it, I think I left Shang rather speechless."

"Did Shang know about Mushu?"

"At first, he didn't. He had no idea that Mushu was behind almost all of my actions. It wasn't until _after_ our wedding that I decided it was time for him to meet Mushu. You see, Mushu had been afraid that he would lose his post as Fa family guardian if Shang and I got married so he tried to split us up and he nearly did."

"How?"

"Well, he made us argue to the point where we had a full-blown argument and nearly broke up."

"If that had of happened then Lonnie wouldn't be here." Mal said aloud.

"That's right. It wasn't until after the fight did I realise that Mushu's actions had only made me realise that I loved Shang and I had to tell him straight away."

"And did you?"

Mulan hung her head. "That was when tragedy hit."

Mal didn't miss the sadness in Mulan's tone.

"We were caught in an ambush and Shang sacrificed himself for the mission we were undertaking. Grief-stricken, I led the mission to completion knowing its what Shang would have wanted. Nearly."

"Nearly?"

"You see, the mission was to accompany the Emperor of China's three daughters to meet and marry their betroths. Of course, it didn't go to plan. Turned out, the three soldiers that Shang and I asked to help us with the mission, Chien Po, Ling and Yao had all fallen in love with the princesses and wanted to marry them. Mushu, feeling sore and sorry for what happened to Shang and I, decided to be sneaky and posed as the Golden Dragon of Unity."

"Golden Dragon of Unity?" Mal struggled not to laugh. How absurd. Why would someone name a god that?

"Don't worry," Mulan assured her. "A lot of people laugh at how absurd some of our customs are but China takes its customs seriously, Mal. Can you guess what the Golden Dragon of Unity is associated with?"

Mal thought long and hard. She thought back to what Mulan had said about the three soldiers who had wanted to marry the Emperor's daughters. "Marriage?"

Mulan nodded, impressed before continuing. "That's right. Anyway, in the end, we all got our happy endings. I got to marry the man of my dreams, Mushu got to remain the family guardian (through Shang's intervention of combining the family temples) and our army buddies got to become royalty via marriage."

"So everyone in your circle got their wish?"

"Pretty much. Can I ask _you_ something?"

"Sure." Mal was unsure of how this was going to pan out. It wasn't everyday that a villain kid asked a hero for advice.

"Why are you asking me about my past?" Mulan didn't sound angry. Mal knew of course that there were a lot of ways to hide anger. Lonnie's mother, however, didn't show any hints of being angry. In fact, she seemed curious.

Mal sighed, ignoring Mulan's question altogether. "I'm not queen material."

Mulan wrapped an arm around the teenager. "Is this about your relationship with Ben?"

Mal had to admit Mulan was pretty good at guessing at how she was feeling. She could only nod, tears welling in her eyes.

"What makes you think you're not queen material?" Mulan asked her gently.

"Gia." Mal said miserably.

"Gia? As in Ben's majordomo?" Mal nodded again, her tears flowing more freely. "Dear Mal, there is nothing going on between them and there never will be."

"But she's so… perfect! She has everything Ben would want in a queen. She knows him better then I do. I know I've only known Ben six weeks but I can't help but feel…"

"Envious?" Mulan concluded.

Mal looked at her, her eyes shining. The woman never ceased to surprise her. "Yeah, now did…?"

"When you're married to a former General of the Chinese Army who has combat skills superior to yours, you learn a thing or two about feelings."

Mal allowed herself to smile.

"I know you're only new to the whole dating royalty thing but when Ben was in here earlier, I saw the way he was looking at you and the way you were looking at him. He isn't the kind of guy to choose a girl and then dump them for the hell of it."

"Does Audrey count?"

Mulan smirked. "Ah, yes. Audrey; Aurora and Philip's _spoilt_ daughter. I have never met such a self-centered, prissy little brat. Rumor has it," Mulan turned to look at Mal. "You put Ben under a love spell."

Mal blushed heavily. "Does _everyone_ know about that?"

"It was pretty much obvious to anyone that knows Ben. He's not the kind of guy to randomly break into song. Even though the spell broke, his feelings for you are _very_ real. He wouldn't have looked at you earlier the way he did if they weren't."

Mal still felt unsure. "How well do Ben and Gia know each other? I know they grew up together and that Gia is Belle and Adam's foster daughter but I can't help but feel that something is going to happen."

"Dear one," Mulan pulled Mal into a hug. "Gia doesn't love Ben the way you do. She's not the boyfriend-stealing type. Trust me. Shang and I trained her in martial arts when she was younger. Ben and his parents were always her biggest supporters. They're the closest thing to family she's ever had."

Mal suddenly felt at ease. Mulan was everything a mother should have been. Warm. Kind. Loving. Maternal. She was everything Maleficent wasn't.

"Gia might seem perfect but no one is. Not truly."

"You seem so sure."

"I might be a hero but no hero is perfect. No _villain_ is perfect. There is no such thing as perfect person, Mal. Remember that."

"But Gia-"

Mulan cut her off. "Gia is just a young woman who just so happened to be the ward of the poster couple for good."

Something in Mulan's words took Mal back to her first (and only 'official' date) with Ben. She remembered him saying that his parents were 'the poster parents for good.' At the time, she thought he was exaggerating but Mulan had mentioned it too.

"So, I don't have to worry about Gia stealing Ben from me?"

Mulan shook her head. "Nope. There is nothing to fear. Sure, she likes to flirt but she doesn't mean anything by it. Remember, Ben loves you. Nothing will change that."

"Thanks Mulan." Mal said gratefully.

"No worries," Mulan said hugging her again. "It was an honor to meet you and your friends. Ben did the right thing in inviting you here. I see that Lonnie has really taken to the idea of having villainous offspring as friends."

"You know, I never thought I would have the daughter of one of the great heroes as one of my best friends."

Mulan beamed with motherly pride. "I'm glad to hear it. If you need anything, just ask Lonnie to call me and I'll be right over. You'd better get to dinner. Your friends will be wondering where you've gotten to."

Mal nodded and headed out of the kitchen.

* * *

Evie was deep in conversation with Lonnie and Jane when Mal finally decided to show herself. Jay, Carlos, Doug and Ben were so deep in their conversation about the upcoming Tourney game that they failed to notice Mal's arrival.

"Where were you?" Evie asked as Mal sat down next to her with her food.

"I was talking to Mulan."

"About?" Lonnie prompted.

Mal looked over at Ben who still hadn't noticed her arrival. She leaned in close to the girls and whispered, "Gia."

"Why?" Jane asked. "What's Gia done?"

"Nothing," Mal shook her head.

Of all the AKs at Auradon Prep, Doug and Lonnie had been the most accepting. Jane had been nervous at first but after Mal had given her a new hairstyle, Jane's confidence had skyrocketed to the point where she had joined Audrey in taunting the VKs in the aftermath of Family Day.

The Auradonian kids either sided with Chad and Audrey in their views of Mal and her friends or they hadn't been sure of how to respond to the situation. Even after Ben's coronation, there were those that still wanted nothing to do with them.

"So what did mom say about Gia?" Lonnie whispered low enough for only the girls to hear.

"She said I had nothing to worry about when it came to her and Ben."

"Of course there's not," Jane said. "I've known Gia a long time and she's one of the sweetest people in Auradon."

Mal took Jane's words and considered them. Gia was nice and but sweet was pushing it. From what Mal had seen of Gia, she was outspoken but there was a little sweetness. Then realization hit. Mal realised that Gia was a lot like her. After all, Gia was born the child of a villain but their upbringings were very different.

Hoping her paranoia was dissolving, Mal started to feel more comfortable and her worries started to disappear as she engaged her friends in conversation. This went on for a good hour before people started to disperse for the comfort of their dorms.

Once everybody at the table had headed back to their rooms, Ben and Mal stayed behind.

"Sorry for ignoring you before." Ben apologised as they rose from the table.

"It's fine." Mal shrugged.

"No, its not." Ben said as they headed for the door.

"Ben, its fine." Mal repeated.

Ben knew better then to argue with her. Suddenly, an idea emerged. "Come with me." He held out his hand to her. Mal took it without hesitation.

* * *

Ben lead Mal out of the cafeteria and out onto campus.

"Where're we going?" Mal whispered as Ben pulled her by the hand down a few narrow paths she didn't recognize in the dark.

"You'll see." Ben whispered back.

Mal allowed herself to be pulled along.

Finally, Ben stopped.

Mal, not expecting to stop so quickly, nearly stumbled into Ben but was able to stop herself. She looked around to see that they were standing in complete blackness.

"Ah, Ben?" Mal said in confusion. What was she supposed to be seeing?

"Just wait." Ben whispered in her ear.

Mal tensed for a moment before she felt Ben's arms wrap around her, making her relax.

A moment later the space in front of them lit up.

Mal watched in amazement as fireflies suddenly lit up the space.

For a few silent moments, Mal watched as the fireflies flew around making a scene. They danced and pranced around like tiny ballerinas. She had never seen anything as beautiful as the sight before her.

"Wow." She gasped.

Behind her, Ben breathed a soft chuckle that tickled her ear.

Mal leaned back into Ben's chest; just glad he was holding her.

* * *

" _So, what did you think of my little show?"_ Ben asked as he walked hand in hand with Mal back to her dorm.

"Very good." Mal said as they mounted the steps to the inside of the building. She allowed Ben to pull her closer to him. "How did I get so lucky?" she sighed happily.

Ben smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I think _I_ should be asking that." Ben whispered in Mal's ear.

Mal smiled as she rest her chin on his shoulder.

"I'd better let you get back to Evie. Who knows what she'll do if you aren't back soon."

"She'd probably send Carlos and Jay looking for me." Mal rolled her eyes at the idea of Evie sending out a rescue party for her. It wasn't as if Ben was going to kidnap her. Evie was just being protective.

For a moment, they walked in silence before they finally reached Mal and Evie's dorm door.

Ben started to let go of her but Mal stopped him. He didn't stop her as she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his.

A long moment passed the between the pair. Mal found herself enjoying Ben's kiss. If she thought she loved him before, she loved him even more now. She didn't want the moment to end.

Then just as quickly as it had started, the kiss ended.

Ben leaned in to whisper in Mal's ear again. "That was supposed to be my move."

Mal pulled away enough to that she was looking at him in the face. She smirked. "My move now."

Ben closed the gap again, cutting her off from saying anything else.

Mal smiled into the kiss, willing it to last just that little bit longer.

From the other side the door, they could hear footsteps; they broke apart just as the door opened, revealing Evie.

Mal's blue-haired best female friend was ready for bed. She was dressed in blue pajamas and her face was free of any makeup.

"There you are," she said, clearly missing the flushed expressions on the couple's faces. "I was about to send Jay looking for you."

"And Carlos?" Mal said brightly.

"Haha." Evie responded dryly.

"I will leave Mal in your very capable hands, Evie."

Ben turned, to step away from the door, his eyes still on Mal who had entered the room.

"Thanks Ben. Night."

"Night." Ben said turning away and walking back the way he had come.

Evie closed the door to the room. "So where'd you and Ben go after dinner?" she asked, turning to face her best friend, her arms folded across her chest.

Mal looked at her, a happy expression crossing her face.

"Am I missing something here?" Evie asked as Mal crossed the room to the bathroom.

"Are you?" Mal called as she switched on the shower.

"I just wasn't expecting you to be as long as you were, that's all." Evie said, perching at the edge of Mal's bed.

"Is it a crime to spend some alone time with my boyfriend?" Mal said as she exited the bathroom, now ready for bed.

"No," Evie said slowly. "I thought you and Ben were taking things slow."

"We are." Mal said as she slid Ben's signet ring off her finger and placed it on her bedside table.

"Then what happened _before_ I opened the door?" Evie pressed.

Mal gave her a steely look. Evie wasn't about to let this go. "Fine!" she exclaimed. "I kissed Ben. Happy?"

Evie gasped and squealed, clapping her hands before doing a happy dance. To Mal, she looked like a gleeful leprechaun, only bigger and with blue hair. "Oh my little Mal is growing up!" She said tearfully going over to hug Mal.

Mal felt incredibly uncomfortable that Evie was suddenly crying with happiness. "E let go."

Evie let her go.

"I made the first move. Not Ben."

"The guy is supposed to make the first move, M." Evie scolded playfully.

"Oh," Mal said. "Coming from the girl who tried seducing Chad into telling her why Fairy Godmother's wand was in the museum."

"What? I had a crush on him." Evie defended.

"Yeah, one he used to his advantage. He made you do his homework."

"I was naïve then."

"Yeah, uh-huh." Mal said as she climbed into bed.

Evie knew better then to argue with Mal when she was in a really good mood. Yawning, she stepped over to her own bed and climbed in under the already pulled down covers.

"Night E." Mal said as she turned off her light.

"Night Mal." Evie responded as she too switched off her light and settled down to sleep.

* * *

Ben stepped quietly into his office to find Gia was still awake and working on some late night paperwork.

"Hey." Gia greeted looking up from her work.

"Hi."

Gia didn't miss the happy smile that was etched all over the young king's face as he walked towards the desk and planted himself in the chair opposite her.

"You're in a good mood, sire." Gia said a smirk playing on her lips as she shuffled through a few pages of paperwork.

"'Sire'?" Ben frowned. "You've never called me that before."

"I'm just trying things out. You're definitely a 'sire'. Just like your father." Gia smiled.

Ben chuckled.

"Care to tell me _why_ you're in such a good mood?" Gia prodded.

Ben looked about ready to burst. "I kissed Mal."

Gia dropped the page she was holding and squealed just loud enough not to wake the palace staff. "Oh, honey that's great. Who made the first move?"

"Mal."

"Nice," Gia nodded in approval. "It's good to see the girl making the first move for a change."

"You know, when I was with Audrey, she _always_ made the first move."

"There's a difference." Gia said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"How?"

"Well, Audrey only made the first move because she was marking her territory, so to speak. She wanted to let other girls know that you were _her_ property. Look at how she treated Evie when she tried to flirt with you when she, Mal and the boys arrived."

Ben remembered that day a little too well. "How did you know about that?"

"Doug told me. He said that Evie looked liked a wounded cat by the way her face fell. Audrey had no right to be so rude."

"Evie's tougher then you think." Ben reassured.

"So much for taking your relationship with Mal slow."

"We _are_ taking it slow. It's not like we're sleeping together." Ben said, offended that Gia would suggest such a thing.

"I never said that you were."

"No, but you were implying it," Ben huffed. "I don't intend on getting her pregnant in high school. I'm not that kind of guy."

"I know you're not. I am merely saying, don't go _too_ fast. You'll know when to take the next step and so will she."

Ben looked at his longtime best friend and confidante hopefully. If his love for "You're right." He said rising from his chair and going around to kiss Gia on the cheek.

"Thought I might be." Gia said, her eyes returning to her work.

"I'm off. Gotta get back to the dorm. See you in the morning." Ben headed for the door.

"Night Ben." Gia called after him.

* * *

Jay and Carlos made their way down to breakfast, their stomachs grumbling. While they might have eaten just about everything on the dinner menu the night before, they found their hunger wasn't satisfied.

Upon seeing Ben walk into the cafeteria, the two former villainous boys exchanged sly smiles before approaching the king.

"Hey guys, how are-"

"Can we have a word with you?" Jay said slyly.

Ben knew the look on Jay's face only too well. It was a look that Mal and Gia were known to give him when they were planning something he wasn't going to like. "Sure." He responded dryly.

"What's this we hear about you kissing our Mal last night?" Carlos said, unable to keep the sly smile off his face.

" _Mal_ kissed _me_. Not the other way around." Ben said defensively.

"Don't go gettin' defensive with us, Your Majesty," said Jay. "We're only here to give you a warning."

"A warning?" Ben echoed. He knew they were going to give him the whole 'protective brothers' talk that they had given him just days earlier.

"You do wrong by Mal and you'll have us to answer to," Carlos said severely. "And we don't care if you're the king."

"You guys gave me the same talk the other day, remember?"

"We know but we want to make sure that it's etched into your royal brain." Jay said.

"You both know I love Mal. I'm not about to do wrong by her."

Carlos and Jay looked at each other, knowing their task was done.

"Hey guys," said Doug. "What's going on here?"

Ben, Carlos and Jay looked over to see that Doug had joined them, looking slightly uncomfortable. Dopey's son didn't like confrontation as it made him anxious and nervous.

"Hey Doug," Ben greeted with a smile. "Jay and Carlos were just giving me another prep talk." He cast an annoyed look at Mal's two male best friends.

"About?" Doug said, suddenly interested.

"Me treating Mal right. I kissed her last night. Or rather, she kissed me." Ben explained.

"That's great news," Doug grinned. He then turned to Jay and Carlos. "Don't worry. Ben's not like Chad or any other of those douchbags this school has ruling its halls."

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked as he crouched down to pick up Dude.

"Some of the other princes just like to use the girls to get what they want. I don't think I need to elaborate on what that means."

The four boys turned just in time to see Chad and Audrey enter the cafeteria. Audrey was giggling about something and Chad seemed to have taken to laughing with her.

"They deserve each other." Jay muttered. He had no love for Audrey. Sure, he had had the hots for her when he had arrived at Auradon Prep and had even danced with her at Ben's coronation after-party, but that meant nothing to him now. She had put Ben and Mal through so much in the past few weeks and it had pained him to see Mal so unhappy. He had seen his female best friend's heartbreak up close.

Chad and Audrey were still oblivious to the fact that Mal and her friends were back at Auradon Prep but the VKs didn't care. If the need arose, Jay was going to beat the living daylights out of Chad. It had just been a shame that Chad hadn't been in gym class the day before. In fact, he hadn't run into Chad at all in the few days he and his friends had been back.

" _Agree with you all the way there."_ Doug said as he broke through Jay's thoughts.

The four boys turned and headed for the breakfast line, each grabbing their morning's worth of food. Jay and Carlos grabbed enough food to last them three mornings as opposed to one.

"Are you going to eat _all_ that?" Doug asked as they headed over to a table.

"Yep." Carlos said smiling fondly at his horde of food.

Jay simply rolled his eyes. Trust Carlos and his stomach. Food was his other great love other then Dude.

It was ten minutes later that the girls join them.

"About time you guys showed up." Carlos said with a smile.

"Sorry we're late," Mal apologized. "But Evie was having trouble picking out a pair of shoes." Mal gave her female best friend the stink eye.

"What? It's not my fault!" Evie protested as she sat beside Doug. "If you want to blame somebody, blame my mother. She's the reason I'm the way I am."

Mal sighed in defeat as she sat beside Ben and leaned in to quickly kiss him on the cheek.

"Hi." Ben said with a smile.

Jay resisted the urge to vomit.

Evie held her tongue, stopping herself from letting out an 'aww!' at Mal and Ben's open affection.

Carlos put Dude on the ground so he could start digging into his food.

Doug looked over at Evie and smiled awkwardly.

"Hey," Carlos said, catching Mal and Evie's attention. "Where's Lonnie? I thought she'd be with you."

Mal shook her head. "She's gone home for the morning to have breakfast with her parents. Her great-grandmother's really sick."

"Grandmother Fa is always the life of the party." Ben said.

"You know the Fa and Li families?" Jay asked.

"Most them," Ben said thoughtfully. "I've known Lonnie since Kindergarten. Grandma Fa was always the first one to comment to my parents just how much I've grown up."

"Have you met Lonnie's dad?" Evie asked as she examined her pancakes.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "He taught Gia and I karate when we were younger. Mulan also taught us."

"You know karate?" Mal was surprised. Ben wasn't the violent type, yet he did play Tourney.

"Yep." Came Ben's only response.

Mal knew this was the end of the conversation. She would have to bring it up with Ben later when their friends weren't around.

The bell rang, indicating that there was half an hour before classes started for the day.

"Who's got what?" Evie asked as she picked up her now empty tray.

"We've got Tourney training first thing." Jay said indicating himself, Carlos and Ben.

"Of course!" exclaimed Mal. "The first Tourney match since the coronation is this Friday. I forgot." She gave Ben an apologetic smile.

"It's okay," Ben chuckled as he squeezed her hand. "You've had a lot of things going recently. If it was me, I'd forget too."

Mal knew he was only trying to make her feel better.

The boys, except for Doug rose from the table. Ben kissed Mal goodbye while Jay and Carlos waved their goodbyes to the girls and Doug.

"What about you, Doug?" Evie asked her boyfriend. "What do you have first?"

"Band practice. We've finally come up with a new song." Doug rose from the table and kissed Evie on the cheek and said his goodbye to Mal before leaving the cafeteria.

Mal and Evie got up to dispose of their trays before gathering their bags and heading out the doors towards the Tourney field where they were going to watch the team practice.

"Still think you're not queen material?" Evie asked as they walked.

Mal bit her lip. "Mulan made me realise something yesterday." She said instead.

"Oh?"

"She made me realise that Ben really does love me and that Gia is only his foster sister and friend."

"See?" Evie smiled. "There's nothing on between them. I keep _telling_ you that."

"I know," Mal nodded. "But I can't help the way I think."

Evie understood _exactly_ how Mal was feeling. Having grown up on the Isle of the Lost, they had only been taught one thing and that was how to be evil. They hadn't been taught to love and be kind. They had to learn that on their own.

Maleficent had been wrong on so many levels.

Love was the best thing to have happened to Mal. Ben had been so wonderful to her and had treated her with kindness. He had been willing to stand up to anyone who doubted his proclamation to give her and her friends a chance.

Friendship was new to the VKs too. On the island, they had been taught that villains and their children didn't have 'friends'. They had 'minions' and 'acquaintances' but never 'friends'.

Mal and Evie had become quite close in the time they had spent together in Auradon.

Resting her head on her best friend's shoulder, Mal took the comfort of having a sister in Evie.

Evie smiled as she wrapped an arm around Mal. She loved Mal as a sister like she loved Jay and Carlos as their brothers. Now that they were away from their parents, the four redeemed villains were each other's family.

"Let's go cheer the boys on." Evie giggled. Mal giggled with her.

* * *

The girls arrived at the Tourney field bleachers just in time to hear Coach Jenkins blow the whistle.

Mal and Evie didn't have to look twice to know Audrey had noticed them and was staring at them wide-eyed. They didn't fail to miss the look of pure hatred that Audrey was giving Mal.

Despite their short-lived truce at Ben's coronation, Mal and Audrey had it out for each other now.

Audrey would never forgive Mal for stealing Ben while Mal would never forgive Audrey for starting that rumor about her and her friends.

On the Tourney field, Chad's jaw dropped at the sight of Evie and Mal sitting on the bleachers. He couldn't believe that Ben had actually bought them back. He had also failed to notice that Jay and Carlos were on the field with him.

From their various positions on the field, Ben, Carlos and Jay grinned.

Ben and Carlos watched as Jay walked up behind Chad.

"What's the matter, Chad?" Jay asked, making Cinderella's son jump. "Crow got your tongue?" Jafar's son smirked and knocked into Chad's arm, forcing the prince to clutch his shoulder in pain.

Back on the bleachers, Evie and Mal attempted to disguise their laughter.

Mal snorted, unable to hide her laughter any longer.

Evie covered her mouth but couldn't stop the laughter.

Audrey scowled at them while her fellow cheerleaders watched in amusement. They had taken a liking to the VKs but Audrey hadn't been too impressed.

Lonnie joined Evie and Mal a few minutes later.

"Wow," Mulan's daughter commented when she saw the seething look on Audrey's face. "I've never seen Audrey look so…"

"Pissed?" Mal supplied.

"I was actually going to say 'red' but that works too."

"I thought you were at home with your parents." Evie said with a frown.

"I was but dad said I wasn't doing great-grandma any favors by sulking at home. Mom agreed with him and bought me back."

Evie gave Lonnie a sympathetic smile and patted her on the shoulder.

"Hey guys." Jane said as she sat down beside Lonnie.

"Hey Jane," Mal greeted. "What's up?"

Jane found herself stalling. "I, um, was wondering if I could ask your help on something."

"Sure. Anything." Evie said sweetly.

Jane took a deep breath. "I wanted to know if you'd help me ask Carlos out."

Mal, Evie and Lonnie stared at her, wide-eyed. They recalled the conversation they'd had about boyfriends just before Mal had love-spelled Ben. Mal had said at the time that boyfriends were overrated but now that she actually had one, she thought differently.

"What's brought this on?" Evie asked curiously.

Jane shrugged. "Ever since Ben's coronation, there's been… a spark between Carlos and I. I know he feels it too, he just doesn't know how to act on it."

"And neither do you." Said Lonnie understandingly.

"What do I do?" Jane pleaded.

"Do you know what _I_ would do?" Mal said slyly.

Evie, knowing what Mal was going to say, groaned. "Mal, no."

Mal ignored her and continued. "When I was trying to get Ben's attention. We had a flirting match despite the fact he was with Audrey. Then after he came to the dorm, I came up with the idea to put a love spell on him."

"No," Jane said firmly. "I am not having a love spell put on Carlos."

"Yeah," Evie agreed. "Besides, Carlos will know that we came up with the idea."

Mal's shoulders slumped. _Damn it!_ Why did Evie always have to be right?

"We'll work something out," Evie reassured Jane. "Don't worry."

Jane smiled back, thankful.

The girls looked out at the field just in time to see Jay and Chad collide head on.

Evie and Mal gasped as they jumped to their feet.

Jay lifted his head to indicate he was okay. "I'm okay. It's all good!" he called up knocking on his helmet.

Evie and Mal sighed in relief and sat back down. They watched as Chad groaned and sat up.

From the cheerleader corner, Audrey clenched her jaw unhappily. Not only had that brute of a villain taken out Chad, he had also ruined Chad's reputation.

According to the latest cheerleader gossip, Coach Jenkins was so impressed with Jay's performance that he was looking at having Jay take Chad's place as co-captain of the team. Of course, nothing was official but Audrey couldn't help but feel like her life had changed from when she had been dating Ben. She felt as if Mal had deliberately ruined her chances of becoming Ben's queen despite the fact she was the heiress of her parents' part of the kingdom.

Mal and Evie eyed Audrey's expression of upset and grinned. Despite having left their evil pasts behind, they did enjoy a little sweet revenge from time to time.

The pair's attention turned to Ben and Carlos at the other end of the field. They were playing defense and Carlos looked incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that he was the goalie. He was virtually a sitting duck.

"I hope Carlos knows what he doing." Fretted Jane.

Evie, Mal and Lonnie looked at their friend to see she had her fingers near her mouth in case she needed to cover a gasp.

There was a loud cheer, snapping the girls to attention. Jay had been able to score a goal without Carlos or Ben getting hurt.

"Good shot, Jay!" Ben praised, going over to pat Jafar's son on the back.

"Look at that," Cooed Mal to Evie. "Our boys are bonding."

Evie nodded as the boys bonded.

Mal could only watch on affectionately as her boyfriend and pseudo-brother received praise from every one of their teammates, except Chad who looked on in irritation.

After a solid hour of training, the coach sent the boys off to class. Jay, Carlos and Ben went to join the girls in the bleachers.

"That was what I call _fun."_ Jay said happily.

"Yeah," Ben said as he kissed Mal on the cheek. "I don't think Chad saw that one coming."

Carlos snorted in amusement.

The girls smiled.

I have to get going." Ben told Mal who pouted in disappointment.

"Aw, why?"

"I've got a stack of paperwork I have to get through that was supposed to be done two days ago."

"Ouch." Evie said.

Ben nodded in agreement. He leaned over to Mal to kiss her goodbye before shouldering his gym bag and headed back down the bleachers and back towards the castle.

Mal sighed in disappointment, she had really been hoping to spend some more time with Ben but his kingly duties came first.

Seeing her best friend's disappointment, Evie laid a hand on Mal's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said kindly. "We'll make it up to you, right guys?" she looked around at Carlos and Jay before turning to Lonnie and Jane, all of whom nodded.

Mal gave them a watery smile "Thanks guys."

* * *

Friday came and Mal hadn't seen Ben for most of the week. It upset her friends could see through her façade. They tried comforting her any way they could but they knew that all she wanted was Ben's attention.

At 11am, Mal and Evie left their English class and headed down towards the Tourney field. Mal had taken the liberty to wear Ben's old jersey as a way of supporting him.

Mal was surprised when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked over to see none other then Ben's mother Belle and his majordomo Gia walking beside her.

"Belle, Gia. What're you both doing here?" she asked in surprise.

Evie smiled at the two royal newcomers.

"Do you think we'd miss Ben's first Tourney game as King?" Belle asked teasingly.

"Not a chance." Gia responded dryly.

"Where's Adam?" Evie asked curiously.

"He's helping Fairy Godmother in the office. He sends his apologies for not being here." Belle said. "He wants Ben's first game as king to go off without a hitch."

After a good couple of minutes, the foursome found good places in the stands amongst the other students. No one seemed to notice that the former Queen of Auradon and the current king's majordomo had arrived to watch the game.

Gia surveyed the field to see Ben sitting with Carlos. He spotted her and waved. She waved back. She turned to Mal, Belle and Evie. "I'll be back in a moment. Excuse me." She moved away from them before anyone could ask where she was going.

Belle watched her ward disappear down towards the announcer's panel, a wean smile crossing her smile.

"Why's Gia down there?" the former queen heard Evie ask.

The crowd of people suddenly went quiet.

"Welcome everyone to today's game!" The announcer said. "Now, before we begin, I would like to welcome a very special guest who has returned to us after a long venture to some of Auradon's adjoining kingdoms."

There were murmurs from the crowd.

On the field on the benches, Ben, Jay and Carlos looked at each other, smirking.

Above them on the bleachers, Mal and Evie smiled at each other. They turned to Belle who was watching the empty field, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

"You know who he's referring to." Mal smiled at her potential future mother-in-law.

A smile formed on Belle's face. "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid."

At that moment, a head of black hair was helped up onto the announcer's panel.

Gia.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please make join me in welcoming back to Auradon, the high lady herself, Her Ladyship, Lady Gia!"

There was a massive round of applause and the cheers were utterly deafening as Gia stepped up to the microphone.

"Thank you, thank you," Gia said with a slight chuckle. "Thank you all for the warm welcome. I cannot tell you how good it feels to be home. I might have missed out on a lot but I have been filled in on a just about everything." She cast a quick look over at where Ben was sitting with the team before turning back to address the crowd again. "I would also like to spend this opportunity in officially welcoming our VK transfers from the Isle of the Lost and I would also like to extend my official congratulations to Ben for _finally_ ascending the Auradonian throne. Welcome to the world of royal extremities, my darling. You've earned it."

There was a comfortable amount of laughter from the crowd.

From where he was sitting, Ben chuckled as he shook his head. Trust Gia to make a joke about him in public.

"Finally, I want to wish both our teams the very best of luck. To our opponents, the Agrabah Sultans and to our very own Fighting Knights, good luck and," Gia pulled the microphone from its stand. "Come on Knights, let's go!" She clapped a rhythm. "Come on Knights, let's go! Come on Knights, let's go!"

Soon, the entire crowd was clapping and becoming invested in Gia's war cry. "Let me hear you say it Auradon Prep!" she yelled.

The cheering, chanting and clapping from the Fighting Knights supporters only got louder.

Having gotten the crowd fired up and ready for the game, Gia spoke one last time. "Without further ado, I officially declare this game open!"

The crowd went wild.

Gia smirked, her work complete. She placed the mic back on its stand and stepped down from the panel just as the players stepped out onto the field. She made her way back to where Belle, Mal and Evie were watching her, amusement playing on their faces.

"Now that was… amazing." Mal praised.

"Thank you," Gia smiled. "There is nothing better then community spirit."

"Don't you mean 'school' spirit?" Belle asked with a smile.

"I'm not a student here anymore so its more _community_ spirit more then anything."

"You went here?" Evie asked in interest.

"Yeah, I graduated last year."

Mal and Evie nodded before turning their attention to the game.

For the next fifteen minutes, the game was at a stalemate. No one was winning. Not even with Jay as the Auradon Fighting Knights' lucky charm.

Goals were being missed and thrown back onto the field. But worse of all, no one was getting hurt. What was Tourney without some sort of injury?

"Is it just me or is this game a total drag?" Mal muttered to Evie, Belle and Gia.

"Not much we can do," Gia said. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Mal raise her hand like she was going to cast a spell. "Oh no you don't." She reached around Belle and Evie and grabbed Mal's wrist. "No magic. The team will be disqualified if the game is rigged."

Knowing Ben would never forgive her if she did rig the game, Mal lowered her hand. "You're no fun." She pouted.

"I'm not meant to be fun. I'm the king's majordomo. I'm supposed to keep people in line and that _includes_ his girlfriend." Gia gave Mal a pointed look before turning to look out over the field.

She could spot Ben a mile off. He was on the look out for any goals that might be headed Carlos' way.

"Come on, Ben. Come on." The Lady of Auradon muttered as she watched Ben take off down the other end of the field to stop the Agrabah player from getting their goal past Carlos.

Mal, Evie and Belle watched as Jay locked onto one of the opposing players in an attempt to keep him away from Carlos' net. The girls didn't know much about the rules of Tourney but they enjoyed watching it only because Jay had made it fun with his 'savage' antics.

Finally, there was a goal from Auradon.

The crowd went wild.

 _About time this game picked up its pace,_ Mal thought.

"And Jay shoots… he scores!" cried the announcer.

The crowd roared with pride.

For half an hour the game continued until the final time buzzer sounded. The score: Auradon: 32 Agrabah: 14.

"And Auradon wins the game!"

The Auradonian supporters went crazy.

The girls laughed as the Auradon team lifted Ben and Jay up onto their shoulders.

From their high perches, Ben and Jay high fived each other before looking out into the sea that was the crowd. They could see Mal and Evie with their hands in the air, cheering at the tops of their lungs. Belle and Gia were doing the same, only they were jumping with joy.

* * *

" _You did us proud."_ Gia said as Ben, Jay and Carlos went to join her and the girls on the bleachers.

"Who knew you girls were lucky." Ben beamed, his eyes not straying from Mal.

"We're not lucky," Evie shook her head. "You just got lucky."

"Yeah," Gia agreed. "The first few minutes were a bore." She feigned a yawn.

"We noticed," Carlos said. "It was a miracle we even got that first goal."

"I'm just glad you didn't hurt," Ben said to Carlos. "Thankfully coach saw you struggling and had Chad take your spot."

"Did you see Chad's face when coach told him he was replacing Carlos?" Jay sniggered. "I thought he was going to die from shock."

"I was just glad to not be a walking target anymore."

"Well," Gia said, breaking the boys' game memories session. "Not that listening to you talk about the game isn't fun but you're due to be in class in forty minutes. If I were you lot, I'd be getting back to your dorms and getting ready."

The boys knew better then to argue and started to head back to campus.

Evie caught up with Doug before they walked back to campus to Jay and Carlos.

Gia had already headed back after her 'scolding' of the boys.

Belle had left the bleachers after the game had finished.

Ben waited behind for Mal, who was gathering up her bag and books. Once she had packed up her things, she joined him. Wrapping an arm around her, he led her back towards the school.

* * *

The bake sale later that day was a success, just as Mulan had predicted. Almost all the treats that had been baked the day before had been sold within just a couple of hours. While the excitement from the Tourney game was still in affect, people felt that satisfying their hunger was the ideal way to celebrate their victory.

"Wow!" said Jay as Lonnie wiped the sweat from her brow. "I never thought this bake sale would be a hit."

"Mom was onto something yesterday," Lonnie said as she packed the remaining goods into a box under the table. "We sold nearly everything. That's impressive."

Jay and Carlos had volunteered to help with the bake sale only so they could get whatever leftovers there might be.

"Look at how happy Jay and Carlos are." Evie cooed to Mal and Ben as the trio watched Jay and Carlos help Mulan and Lonnie pack away the leftovers.

"Them and their chocolate." Ben laughed. "Remember when you all arrived in Auradon and Carlos had chocolate covering his face?"

"How can we forget?" Mal said, resting her head on Ben's shoulder. "I still remember the look on Audrey's face." She shuddered.

"Yeah," Evie agreed. "She thought we were whack jobs."

"What was _your_ first impression of us?" Mal asked Ben curiously.

"I thought you were all interesting in your own individual ways."

"Yeah, you probably thought _Evie_ was a nut job for flirting with you."

Evie threw Mal a poisonous look that her purple-haired friend ignored.

"Not at all," Ben said, kissing Mal's forehead. "If Jay could flirt with Audrey then it was okay for Evie to flirt with me."

"You weren't jealous of Jay flirting with Audrey?" Mal asked.

"No. At that point, I had been trying to pluck up the courage to dump her. Your love spell was the just the thing I needed to do it."

"Ah, she broke up with _you."_ Evie said. "Shouldn't you have been the one upset?"

"E, he was under the love spell, remember?" Mal looked at her blue-haired best friend.

Evie shrugged before turning back to see Jay and Carlos walking towards them, big smiles of their face. They were carrying a large box between them.

"Look what we got!" Jay all but yelled in glee.

"Mulan and Lonnie gave us a big lecture." Carlos muttered.

"Ah, why?" Mal asked.

"They said we could have the leftovers, if we shared them with you guys." Jay said sounding a little disappointed.

Mal peered into the box and pulled out a container of treats. "Oh look," she said to Ben. "Your dad's favourites." She handed him the container of cream cakes.

"Dad's gonna love these." Ben said as Mal dug around in the box that the boys had just put on the ground.

"There's a lot more where those came from." Evie said as she helped Mal. She held up another container of cream cakes. Ben took the container from her.

"Enough to bribe the Council of Sidekicks?" Jay asked.

"Not nearly enough but this batch of cream cakes might just convince my dad to do my bidding for a while." Ben smirked.

"Oh how evil of you." Mal giggled as Ben kissed her on the cheek.

Evie rose out of her crouched position on the ground and exchanged looks with Jay and Carlos.

"I think we ought to give these to your dad, yeah?" Mal pushed Ben away from the larger box of box of treats. She turned to call over her shoulder, "Leave some for us, yeah?"

"You got it, Mal!" Jay called.

Evie looked at Carlos who looked about ready to cry. "Keep a few containers for the rest of us." She squatted down and scooped up the box and started to carry it towards the dorms.

Realising what Evie was doing, the boys bolted after her, hoping they weren't too late in retrieving their 'stolen' treats.

* * *

" _Cream cakes!"_ Adam said as Ben and Mal gave him the containers of cakes.

"Leftovers from the bake sale." Ben said. "Apparently not _everyone_ likes cream cakes."

"More for me." Adam said with a shrug.

" _Oh! Food!"_ A female hand reached out of nowhere and grabbed the cake from Adam's hand.

The trio turned to see Gia take a bite of the stolen cake.

"Hey." Ben said with a smile.

"Hey." Gia greeted as she took another bite of the cake.

"That was mine." Adam murmured before taking another cake from the open container in Mal's hands.

"We thought you were in a meeting." Mal said.

"I was. They are driving me crazy in there." Gia said as she finished her cream cake.

"Why?" Ben asked.

"Let's just say, the treaty between us and Weselton isn't going quite as planned."

"Weselton?" Mal snorted. "As in the place that tried to exploit Arendelle?"

"The very same." Gia said as she swiped another cake but this time from the open container.

"What's gone wrong?" Adam questioned.

Gia took a bite of her cake and spoke as she chewed. "The so-called 'Duke' wants us to turn against Arendelle but I can see right through the ploy."

"They want to exploit us." Ben said.

"You got it." Gia said mid-chew.

"That's not lady-like, darling." Adam muttered to his ward.

"I'm annoyed. I can be as un-lady-like if I want." Gia said as she chewed.

Ben chuckled.

Mal stared at Gia wide-eyed. She had never seen Gia disobey Adam. This was certainly a first.

"Stress with do that to you." Ben said sheepishly.

Gia and Mal giggled.

"You? Stressed? Not in a million years." Gia said as she swallowed the remaining remnants of her cake.

Adam rolled his eyes. "I will leave you three to your fun." He turned and left the room but not before he took the containers of cream cakes.

"So, you're really having trouble with the Duke of Weaseltown?" Ben joked.

Gia nodded, clearly exhausted by her attempts to tell the Duke 'no'.

Ben sighed. "Alright, G. I'll be right there. Just give me ten minutes to walk Mal back to the dorms."

"No, it's alright. I think I saw Evie running back to the dorm with the box of leftovers from the bake sale. I gotta help her hide them from the boys."

"See you later, then?" Ben asked.

Mal nodded before reaching up to kiss him goodbye. "Love you." She whispered before she headed towards the door and slipping out of the room.

Ben smiled dreamily as Mal slipped out of the room.

"Easy now, Ben." Gia said, snapping the king out of his trance. "Focus, man."

"Sorry."

Gia chuckled. "You know, one day she could be sitting beside you as queen."

Ben managed a smile. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"In a few years. "

Gia nodded. "Come on. Let's go sort out of the Duke of Weaseltown."

Ben laughed as they left the room arm in arm.

* * *

Evie was just struggling to push the box of treats into her wardrobe when the door to the room opened. She shrieked and turned to see Mal stop in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Mal asked hesitantly.

"Trying to hide these from the boys. How was your little 'peace mission'?"

"It wasn't a peace mission. It was… actually; I dunno what to call it. Anyway, where are the boys?"

"I have no idea. I took a different route to get up here. One they don't know about." Evie told her. She shoved the box one more time and it fit into the space. She then slammed the wardrobe door shut. "So, where's Ben? I thought you'd be with him for the rest of the day."

"I was but he had to go and help Gia with some Weselton thing."

"Weselton is a real place?"

"Yep. Haven't you been paying attention in Auradon History?"

Before Evie could respond, Mal's phone beeped.

Mal pulled her phone from her pocket and saw that she had a message from Ben. It read:

 _Weaseltown issue resolved… we think. – Love you._

She couldn't help but giggle.

Evie peered over and read the message. "Aw! What was the whole 'Weaseltown' thing?"

"Something about the Duke wanting Auradon to go up against Arendelle so that he could exploit them. In other words, he wanted to exploit us."

"How awful." Evie said, raising a hand to rest over her heart.

"Totes." Mal agreed with a nod.

"So what's Ben doing now?"

"Well, when I left him, he and Gia were about to go fix the problem with this Duke guy."

"Does the Duke even have a name?" Evie asked.

Mal thought for a moment. She had never heard a name mentioned in anything she had heard about him. "Now that you mention it, I don't think so. I've never heard anything mentioned and Ben didn't mention the guy's name."

"Huh." Evie said as she sat down at her desk. "What guy hasn't got a name?"

"Beats me." Mal said as she grabbed her sketchbook from her desk.

For an hour, Mal and Evie sat in silence doing their own thing.

Mal sat drawing on her bed while Evie finished up on a few costumes she had been making for a school play based on her mother's side of the Snow White story.

"Mal?"

"Mmm?" Mal looked up from her drawing.

"Do you think we did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Choosing good."

Mal thought for a moment. "I think we did. After all, if we didn't you wouldn't be with Doug and I wouldn't be with…"

"Ben." Evie finished for her.

Mal nodded as she glanced over at the spell jar that still contained her mother that was still sitting on a shelf near the door. Getting up, she went over and picked the jar up, with her mother still inside. "Hi mom. Long time I know but things have been… crazy here lately. As I'm sure you're aware I'm still with Ben and that's not going to change."

Looking over at Evie, Mal could see she was watching the moment with caution. Sure, her mother was now a lizard but that didn't mean she couldn't stand up to her more. "I love Ben, mother. That will never change. He has given me everything you never did. Love. Freedom. Hope. He makes me feel alive. He doesn't pressure me like you did while I was growing up. He is the reason why I chose good."

Mal rose to her feet again and carried the spell jar back over to the shelf. Sighing, she turned back to Evie who smiled proudly at her.

"How'd I do?"

"Very well." Evie got up from her sewing machine and went to hug her best friend. "If Ben were here now, he'd be very proud of you."

Mal smiled as Evie hugged her.

"You have the makings of a great future Queen, Mal," Evie said wisely. "One I know in time Ben will be glad to call his wife."

Mal shuddered. "We're a bit young to even be _thinking_ about marriage right now, E."

"I know, but you never know what the future holds. I have never seen a guy look at a girl the way Ben looks at you. In the time he was with Audrey, he _never_ looked at her like that."

Mal thought about that for a moment. Evie was right. She had never seen Ben look at Audrey the way he looked at her. He had only been with her because of so-called royal duties; princes marrying princesses and having royal blooded children.

Ben was the very definition of breaking tradition. He was the first king to have the villainous descendants in Auradon and he was also the first hero descendant to be dating a villainous one. That was what made him unique or at least, in Mal's eyes it did.

Mal knew that Ben would break tradition for her no matter what the cost might have been.

"You know what, E? I think you're right. If there is any kind of future for Ben and I then I would love it if you were my maid-of-honor." Mal beamed.

Evie squealed. "Not even engaged and you're already planning. That's my girl." She gave Mal another hug.

The girls laughed.

Evie pulled back and went down in a mock curtsey. "Your Majesty."

Mal did the same to Evie. "My Lady."

"Does that mean I get to make your dress too?" Evie asked hopefully.

"One thing at a time, Evie," Mal chuckled. "Just wait for Ben to propose and _then_ we'll talk about it."

Evie was a little disappointed but she nodded nonetheless. She was after all, a future queen's best friend.

* * *

" _Evie already wants you to propose._ " Mal told Ben later as they walked towards cafeteria for dinner.

"Seriously?" Ben asked.

"Yep. You know what Evie's like. She's always been the hopeless romantic of our little group. She actually reminds me of someone _else_ I know." Mal gave Ben a pointed smile.

Ben scoffed as they entered the food line. "What _did_ you agree to?"

"I told her that she could be my maid-of-honor. That is _all_ we agreed to. Don't go getting any ideas, Benny-Boo." Mal smirked.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Ben laughed as he kissed her cheek.

Upon joining their friends at their regular dinner table, Ben and Mal found themselves listening to a couple of conversations going on at one time.

"… Did you see the look on Audrey's face?" Jane was asking Lonnie.

"It could have been so much worse…" Jay said to Doug.

"What's everybody going on about?" Mal asked Carlos.

Carlos lifted his head and gestured to where Audrey and Chad were sitting.

Mal and Ben turned their heads and gasped at what they saw.

Chad was nursing a broken arm and had bandages wrapped around his head.

Audrey looked inconsolable as she watched her boyfriend struggle to eat.

"What happened?" Ben asked as he and Mal turned back to face Carlos.

"We're not exactly sure but Jane saw the whole thing go down. You know Aziz, right?"

"Aladdin and Jasmine's son?" Mal asked. "Yeah."

"Well, he may or may not have gotten into a fight with Chad."

"Why?" Ben asked, alarmed by his friend's actions.

"Well, from what Doug was saying, Chad got a chance to take yet another swipe at Evie for who she is and Aziz jumped in to defend her only, it got physical and now Chad is nursing a broken arm, a fractured jaw and a bruised ego or at least, that's what Jane said."

"Good." Said Mal. "No one picks on my best friend and gets away with it. Aziz did the right thing."

"But he didn't have to punch the guy." Ben argued.

"Agreed but Chad got what he deserved."

" _Ben!"_

The trio turned from their conversation to see Gia hurrying towards them.

"G, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ben frowned.

"Come with me." Gia turned and hurried back the way she had come. "Bring Mal!" she called over her shoulder.

"We're needed." Ben said to Mal.

"Carlos, Jay and Evie are needed too." Gia called back.

The group rose, said goodbye to the others and filed out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Outside the cafeteria the group gathered around Gia.

"What's going on with Audrey and Chad?" Gia asked once they were all gathered.

"Aziz beat Chad up." Evie said. "He was trying to defend my honor. Doug was there. He can back me up. So can Jane."

"How does Audrey fit into all of this exactly?" Gia asked crossing her arms.

"She wasn't there." Evie said as she drew Gia's attention to her. "She found out later."

Gia then turned to Ben and Mal. "Where were you two when all this was going down?"

"We were on the way down to dinner," Mal said before Ben had the chance to speak. "We took the long way down."

"Word has already gotten back to Ella and Charming."

"Oh great!" Ben exclaimed a little too loudly. "Let me guess: Charming's blaming me for the beating up of his son? He already hates me."

"I don't know exactly but Fairy Godmother wants to see you all." Gia said before she turned on her heel and led the group down the hall.

* * *

The six descendants made their way to the Fairy Godmother's office. No one spoke.

Mal held Ben's hand like it was her lifeline. She had heard from both him and Gia about the blowups in recent weeks between them, Charming and Audrey's family. She felt really sorry for Cinderella and King Stefan for having to sit through the arguments that were surely tearing the families apart.

She looked in front of them to see Gia was only a few steps ahead of them, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor. She had never seen someone walk with such grace the way Gia did. Her thoughts were shattered as the sound of the door opening to the Fairy Godmother's office broke through her thought barrier.

Charming and Cinderella sat opposite Fairy Godmother.

"I brought them, just as you requested, ma'am." Gia said, clearly not happy with the errand she had had to run.

"Very good My Lady." Fairy Godmother said with curt bow of her head.

Gia stepped back so she was standing with her back to the door.

"What's this about?" Ben asked.

"You know _exactly_ what this is about, Benjamin." Charming spat.

"I had nothing to do with Aziz beating Chad to a bloody pulp. I wasn't even there." Ben said fiercely.

"Like I'm going to _believe_ that."

Cinderella elbowed her husband in the arm but he ignored her silent pleading.

"Please Charming," Fairy Godmother pleaded. "Let the children say their part."

Charming rolled his eyes and scoffed but allowed the kids to speak.

"I didn't even see the fight happen," Ben said, trying to keep his anger under control. "I was with Mal the entire time. If you don't believe me, check with my father."

Charming clenched his jaw. He had a love/hate relationship with Adam too. He hadn't exactly been the biggest fan of a man who had once been a big hairy beast with a temper problem.

"I think that might be best," Fairy Godmother advised. "Beast's opinion would be the most recommended."

"I can make the call." Cinderella said, jumping to her feet, pulling her phone from her purse before escaping out the office door.

It was clear that Cinderella was simply looking for a way to escape the tension in the room. No one could blame her. It wasn't the woman's fault that she had a husband and a son who were both bastards.

Fairy Godmother turned back to the group of teenagers.

"Evie," the headmistress said kindly. "Please come forth, my dear."

Evie stepped forward.

"Evie, can you tell us what happened?" Fairy Godmother said.

Evie nodded. "I was on my way out of class with Doug when Chad came over to us and started to say horrible things about how Ben was stupid to invite VKs to Auradon and how the incident at the coronation wouldn't have happened if us VKs hadn't been there. He called me names like 'gold digger' and 'tramp' and other vile things I wish not to repeat."

Fairy Godmother pondered over what Evie had told her. Finally, she nodded. "Thank you, Evie."

Evie shyly nodded and stepped back into line with the others.

"Mal, can you tell me anything else of what happened?"

"Like Ben said before, I was with him the entire time. We didn't know anything about the fight until Carlos told us." Mal was flustered and wanted nothing more then to be out of the office. She hated being accused of something she hadn't done.

At that moment, Cinderella re-entered the office. "Beast confirmed Mal and Ben's alibi. They were with him until they went down to dinner."

"Is there proof?" Charming demanded of his wife.

Cinderella's face had gone white like she had been slapped. "You want proof?" Cinderella snarled at her husband. "Beast said Ben sent him a text message telling him that he and Mal were back at school."

As Cinderella was speaking, Ben pulled out his phone and pulled up the message he had sent his father earlier that evening. Once Cinderella had stopped talking, he handed his phone to Fairy Godmother so she could read the message.

After a moment, Fairy Godmother handed Ben back his phone and he slipped in back into the pocket of his jeans.

Cinderella returned to her seat.

"Technology doesn't lie." Carlos said. He gasped and clamped his hands over his mouth.

Charming turned his head to look at him and the others.

Mal felt Ben tense beside her as he gripped her hand tighter. She squeezed his hand in return, trying to reassure him. She knew straight away that he, much like Cinderella, didn't want to be in this office.

"You must be that De Vil boy." Charming sneered.

"His name's Carlos," Mal snapped. "And yes, I'm Maleficent's daughter."

"Mal." Ben muttered under his breath.

"Mal, is it?" Charming stood up from his chair, in a poor attempt to be intimidating. "I've heard a lot about you. Most of it good. But some of it bad."

There was something in Charming's tone that Mal didn't like.

"Darling." Cinderella warned.

Charming ignored his wife's pleading. "Care to explain as to why my son was beaten to a bloody pulp?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your son is a bully." Mal spat, sliding her hand from Ben's. "He has been nothing but trouble for me and my friends from the moment Ben invited us here."

Ben looked down at the floor.

"Chad humiliated Evie not once but twice. He accused me of stealing Ben from Audrey and he accused Jay of liking the fact that he was hurting people during Tourney games. I think your _son_ deserves more of the punishment then we do. We are _not_ our parents. Weren't you listening at Ben's coronation?"

Charming's face went deathly white. "You _dare_ talk to me like that, villainous spawn?"

"Hey!" Ben hissed. "You have got no right to speak her like that." He grabbed Mal's hand as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Just because you have Maleficent's daughter as your consort, Benjamin doesn't mean I can't say what I want."

"Ben, it's fine." Mal whispered.

Mal could tell Ben was fuming.

"No, it's not fine." Ben huffed. He didn't care who was in the room. "I will _not_ have anyone treat you like that."

"That's how life worked on the Isle of the Lost, Ben. No villain parents truly loved their kids. Except maybe, Evil Queen."

Evie flinched at the mention of her mother.

"Doesn't matter," Ben said. He turned back to Charming who was staring at him. "Charming, I would appreciate it if you kept Chad on a shorter leash," he looked over at Carlos who smirked at the dog joke. "So to speak."

Charming rose from his chair and stomped to the door before opening it and left, slamming the door behind him.

"I am so sorry for Charming's behavior," Cinderella apologized. "I really don't know what to do with him."

Fairy Godmother reached across the desk and took her goddaughter's hand.

"We'll fix this, dear." Fairy Godmother said with a small smile that Cinderella returned.

"What _can_ you do?" Evie asked.

"Well, seeing as the text message exchange between Ben and his father is time stamped, I now know that Ben and Mal were not involved."

Mal stared at the headmistress in disbelief but said nothing.

"I will need to know from those who were involved or saw what happened to tell me everything.

* * *

For the next hour and a half, the group told Fairy Godmother and Cinderella everything that they knew about Chad's beating.

Fairy Godmother's conclusion was that Chad had been harassing Evie and that Aziz had only been trying to protect her. She then decided to suspend Chad from extra-curricular activities for six weeks while Aziz would receive three weeks worth of detentions.

Cinderella had agreed with her godmother's punishment but she felt Aziz shouldn't have been punished so severely.

After the kids has been dismissed and sent back to their dorms (and Gia back to the castle), Fairy Godmother turned to Cinderella.

"Ella, I am so sorry for having to punish Chad."

"I understand Godmother," Cinderella said kindly. "I just wish he wasn't like his father." She sighed sadly. "Chad will not be happy when he learns of his punishment."

"He broke the rules, Cindy. I cannot turn a blind eye to that."

"I understand that." Cinderella nodded. "I hope you do not blame me for the way my son views the world."

"I do not." Fairy Godmother said. There was silence for a moment. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Did you agree to help Gia bring down Chad?"

Cinderella sighed. "Yes, I did agree to help Gia. When she returned from her adventure, she came to me and told me about the rumor Chad and Audrey created to get Mal and her friends sent back to the Isle of the Lost."

"And what happened?"

"I told her that I would handle Chad and Charming and I thought I had except I don't totally succeed."

"What is the next move?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"If this blows up again, I give you permission to expel Chad from Auradon Prep."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Oh! Chad is gonna get what's coming to him. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Mulan and Mrs. Potts' introductions. I always loved in Beauty and the Beast how Mrs. Potts was the glue that held everybody else together and acted as mother towards Belle. I thought it'd be good to add that to Belle's son and the VKs. The next chapter is lengthy but not as this one and its a time jump to Summer vacation. Now, you're going to have to be patient with me as the way schools and holidays and whatnot run in Australia differ to that to holidays and school years in America. Also, you might see a few words spelt incorrectly like 'realized' will be 'realised' and so on. I'm trying to be as 'American' as I can and I've fixed some of them but not all of them._

 _To Be Continued..._


	4. Summer

**A/N:** _Hi all! I'm back. I know I said I was going to update three chapters at a time but I've only had time to edit one. This chapter is one of the longest I have ever written for anything. The contents for this had been swimming around in my brain for quite a while. I was happy with the way it turned out. This chapter originally over 13,000 words long but I was able to cut out over a 1,000. Now, I got a comment in a review for one of the previous chapters about one of the dwarfs not agreeing with Ben's proclamation. Please keep in mind that it has been a while since I read Isle of the Lost and I simply forgot that Grumpy I think it was, agreed with Ben. Also, this story is slightly AU from the contents of the film, the novels and Wicked World._

 _This chapter introduces a few of the parents and Rayna, an OC who is Tiana and Naveen's daughter. Take a guess as who she is named after. Be sure to comment on who you think Rayna is named after. There is also a couple of mentions to Freddie in this chapter. She will pop up very soon and I can't wait for you guys to know what she gets up to when she re-enters Auradon._

 _One last thing, I was also asked by a couple of people, whether Jay and Lonnie were going to be an item in this story and unfortunately, I have to say no. I was never a fan of them as a pairing and I'm not really a fan of Jay and Audrey together either but I can give or take it. I see Jay falling for a girl who is TOTALLY out of his league. This chapter addresses that a little bit but will go into further detail in later chapters._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Summer**

* * *

The rest of the school year had come and gone like any other year had. The excitement of Ben's coronation and the arrival of Mal and her friends from the Isle of the Lost had been two of the biggest highlights of the year. For most though, summer was _always_ the biggest highlight.

" _I cannot believe we're spending our first summer in Auradon!"_ Evie squealed with excitement.

She and Mal were sitting in the Cathedral courtyard under the shade of a large tree watching Carlos sweat it out as he taught Dude new tricks.

Mal hadn't put much thought into the summer break.

Summer back on the Isle of the Lost was nothing compared to summer in Auradon. On the island, summer wasn't … well, summer-like. It was never hot or humid and there had never once been a true sunny day.

Now that Evie had brought the subject up, Mal had to admit spending her first summer in Auradon wouldn't be so bad seeing as she would probably spend most of it with Ben. She could almost sigh dreamily at the idea of spending the whole time getting Ben to relax and not stress about anything that involved Auradon for a while.

" _Earth to Mal! Earth to Mal!"_

Mal snapped out of her daze at the sound of Jay's voice. She hadn't realised he had joined them. "Huh? Sorry, Jay. I didn't know you were sitting there."

"He's been sitting there for ten minutes, M," Evie frowned. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Mal said, clearing her throat. "What were you saying, Jay?"

"I just asked what you were doing during the summer." Jay frowned.

Mal shrugged. "Spending the whole time with Ben, I guess."

"Ah, yes," Evie said. "Your first summer as the girlfriend of the new King of Auradon."

"What about you, Ev?" Jay asked Evie. "I thought you were going with Doug to meet his family."

"I was but we decided to put it off." Evie said with a disappointed sigh.

"Why?" Carlos asked as he walked over with Dude.

"Well, I didn't want to start any unnecessary fights among the dwarfs. After all, my mom tried to kill Snow White."

"So you declined?" Mal questioned.

Evie shrugged. "Doug mentioned something to me before he left for the summer."

"And what was that?" Mal asked.

"He said that his dad and his uncles are paranoid."

"About?" Jay prodded.

"This is going to sound really hypocritical and stupid," Evie started slowly. "Doug told me he got a text message from his dad telling him that Ben told him and the other dwarfs during a council meeting that Doug and I were going out."

"Yeah, so?" Mal said, clearly confused now. Ben had told her about _that_ council meeting. "Ben had to. The council of sidekicks was criticizing us and I mean the four of us."

"I'm not blaming Ben," Evie said defensively. "But since that meeting and Dopey's text, Doug has had to report all our dates to his father to approve of first." She scoffed in disgust.

Mal didn't seem at all put out by Evie's tone. She knew Evie didn't mean any offense but there was some part of her that wanted to be offended.

"Does Dopey ask for specifics?" Jay prompted.

Evie threw him a dirty look.

"Knock it off, Jay." Mal hissed.

The friends sat in silence for a moment.

"Come on guys," Carlos said. "We've only been on summer break less then twenty-four hours and we're already at each others' throats. Can we _please_ make this first summer a memorable one?"

Mal, Evie and Jay bowed their heads. They couldn't deny Carlos anything. He was the youngest of the group and he had the biggest heart of them all. He had really come out of his element this past year and that was all thanks to Jane.

Mal, unable to take the tension any longer, groaned. She got to her feet, picked up her sketchbook and pencil before sliding her bare feet into her sandals and stormed off.

* * *

" _Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?"_ Ben repeated as he raided his wardrobe. He threw things over his shoulder, not bothering to see where they landed.

The door to his bedroom opened revealing Gia. "Ben? What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Ben went to move his head but bumped it on something above him. "Ah! Ow!"

"Have you seen the book I borrowed from mom's library last week?" he asked.

Gia walked over to the nightstand and picked up the two books that were sitting on top. "Which one?" she teased. " _Les Misérables_ or _Oliver Twist_?" She held them up.

Ben gave her a hard look. "Very funny." He walked over and grabbed _Oliver Twist_. "I have spent the entire morning looking for this."

"Let me guess," Gia snorted. "Your mother wants it back in its rightful place?"

"Yeah." Ben admitted as he headed to the door.

Gia put _Les Misérables_ back on the nightstand and followed the king to the door. "Wait a second." She and Ben turned to see the pigsty that was currently Ben's bedroom. Wrinkling her nose and raising her hand, she chanted, _"Reverse this mess to its former_ _reservoir_ _."_ Just like that, the room became spotless. Not a thing was out of place.

Ben looked at her, amused. "I thought you didn't think highly of verbal spells."

"Normally I don't but seeing as I've been hanging out with that girlfriend of yours so much lately, I thought I'd give it a shot."

Ben placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So, where are you headed after you return that?" Gia pointed to the book in the king's hand.

"I was thinking of heading to the Enchanted Lake." Ben replied with an easy smile.

"Ah, the place that holds the most special memory of all. Your first date with Mal."

"So you _have_ been listening to me." Ben smiled.

"I aim to please." Gia grinned as she flourished her hands.

"You're more then welcome to come with me."

Gia thought for a moment. "You know what?" she said. "I think I will. Got nothing else to do."

"Great. I'll see you outside." Once outside the door, the pair parted ways with Ben heading for his mother's library and Gia heading back to her room.

* * *

Evie, Jay and Carlos were frantic. They had looked everywhere for Mal and couldn't find her.

They arrived at the castle just in time to see Ben and Gia walk down the stairs.

"Ben! Gia!" Evie called to their friends.

"Hey Ev. Carlos. Jay. What's up?" Ben greeted as he and Gia stepped closer to the trio.

"Have you seen Mal?" Carlos asked, his tone defining how worried he was.

"No, why?" Ben asked.

"We had a bit of a… disagreement with her earlier," Jay explained. "She got the shits with us and stormed off."

Ben and Gia look at each other, thoughtfully.

"We think we might know where she is," Gia stated. "Come on."

Jay, Evie and Carlos turned around and headed after them.

* * *

Mal sat on the ruins of the stone gazebo with her sketchbook in her hands. She froze before relaxing when a familiar set of arms wrapped around her.

" _Miss me?"_ Ben breathed in her ear.

Mal giggled as Ben pulled her into his lap. "How'd you find me?"

"It was pretty easy to guess," Ben told her as she put her sketchbook down next to him. "I hope you don't mind but I brought company."

As if on cue, Gia walked dressed in denim shorts and a black tank top into the clearing followed by Evie.

"Wow! This place is beautiful."

A bark sounded and Dude ran into the clearing.

"Way to keep us in the dark about this place, Ben." Jay said as he and Carlos entered the clearing, being mindful or Dude chasing after his ball.

Dude paddled back and climbed up onto the stone base of the gazebo and dropped the wet ball in Mal's lap.

Picking the ball up, Mal threw it, causing Dude to bark and chase it again.

Gia plopped down a little ways away from Ben and Mal and pulled a book out of her bag.

Evie lay down in the sunniest spot she can find while Jay pulled off his shirt.

From where she was sitting, Gia blushed but kept her head down.

Carlos paid no attention to anything going on around him and threw the ball into the water for Dude again.

Gia's head suddenly, an idea forming in her head. Slamming her book shut, she stuffed it back into her bag and slipped her sandals off. She jumped up and headed for the hidden path that lead to jump Rock.

Gia's sudden disappearance caught Ben's interest. "G?" he called. "Where'd you go?"

" _Up here!"_

Ben and Mal looked up to see Gia now standing at the top of the rock.

Mal couldn't help but laugh as Ben had been standing in the very same spot on their first date. That was when she had teased him about the little crowns on his shorts.

Jay, Carlos and Evie were now paying attention.

"You have got to be kidding." Carlos muttered.

"Is she gonna jump?" Jay asked Ben.

"Just watch." Ben muttered.

Gia stepped further out on the rock and started to do sweeping hand gestures, causing the water to rise up out of the lake before dropping back down. She even started to hum what sounded suspiciously like 'Let it Go'.

"No!" Ben yelled up to her. "ANYTHING but that!"

Gia cackled wickedly. "Make me Benjamin!" she continued to hum the song, despite the fact that it was incredibly off-key.

"You're going to pay for that." Ben called to her. Mal slid out of his lap so that he could stand up.

Pulling off his own t-shirt, Ben bolted up the short path up to the rock.

There was minimal room on the rock for Ben to stand once he reached the top.

With Gia preoccupied in her little act, Ben took the short amount of time he had to come up with a plan to get her down off the rock without minimal injury.

Mal took the time to admire Ben. She still could not believe that the king with the strapping good looks and perfect body was actually _her_ boyfriend.

"Eyes on the prize, M. Eyes on the prize." Evie muttered in her ear, causing Mal to jump in surprise. Mal turned her head to see Evie point toward the rock.

Ben knocked Gia's legs out from under her so that he was cradling her before he threw her over his shoulder.

Gia kicked, screamed and threatened to curse him if he even thought about throwing her into the water.

Getting down from the rock was an issue with the extra weight Ben now was now carrying. He held Gia's legs so she didn't kick him in the chest as he moved down the path and reappeared on the main path to the gazebo. Walking past Mal and Evie, Ben carried a still screaming and cursing Gia over to Jay who took her without a second thought.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Gia continued to scream.

Jay simply smirked and threw her with all the strength he could muster.

Gia was sent flying (and screaming) through the air. She hit the water with a mighty splash.

"I cannot believe you did that!" Mal said going over to hit Jay in the chest. "We're suppose to be good and you've just gone and ruined it!"

In the water, Gia kicked her way to the surface. She gasped as she swam her way to the concrete slab. Carlos helped to pull her up onto the concrete. "Thanks Carlos." She said kindly.

"Are you okay?" Evie asked as she hurried over to check Gia for injuries.

"I'm fine, Ev." Gia chuckled as she allowed Evie to check her over.

"As long as you're sure." Mal said, stepping over to join her best friend.

Gia turned her gaze on Ben and Jay who were struggling not to laugh. She could feel her eyes flash green in anger. "Do. NOT. Do. That. Again!" she spat.

"Come on, G," Jay sniggered. "We were only having a bit of fun."

Raising her hand in Jay and Ben's direction, Gia made them rise into the air.

The wind suddenly picked up speed, blowing everybody's hair into disarray.

With a sweeping second hand gesture, Gia hurled the boys through the air. The force of the gesture was so strong that it threw both Ben and Jay into the water.

The others were surprised they weren't getting wet.

"How are we not getting wet?" Carlos asked.

"I've got a shield spell in force." Gia said simply. She then turned to Mal. "Mal, can you please dry me off?"

"Sure."Mal did a sweeping hand gesture. A moment later, Gia was dry

"Thanks." Gia said with a sigh.

Behind the Carlos and Evie, Ben and Jay surfaced.

"Was that really necessary?" Ben yelled.

"Yes!" Gia called over her shoulder as she stormed over to grab her bag.

"Aren't you going to dry us off?" Jay yelled.

"Nope." Mal shook her head as Ben and Jay pulled themselves out of the water. She turned with Evie, Carlos and Dude following her out of the clearing.

* * *

The group arrived back at the castle to find Adam and Belle waiting for them.

"Hi mom. Dad." Ben said a little nervously. "What's up?"

"'What's up?'" Echoed Adam. "We'll tell you 'what's up'. Gia just stomped into the library fuming because Jay threw her into the Enchanted Lake." The former king's eyes floated over to Jafar's son before going to his own son.

"She then went on to tell us that _you,_ Ben, picked up her up and carried her back to the gazebo so that Jay could throw her in."

"It didn't go down _quite_ like that." Ben said awkwardly.

" _Whatever_ the case," Adam went on coolly. "It is never to happen again."

Ben gulped. "It's not like I provoked it. I – we were just having fun with her."

"Well, clearly," Belle said sternly. "Gia doesn't see it that way."

Ben bowed his head, shamefully. He hated disappointing his parents. But most of all, he hated disappointing his mother.

"Go up and apologise to her," Adam said pointing to the castle doors. His eyes then returned to Jay. " _Both_ of you."

"Yes, sir." Jay said before he followed Ben up the stairs.

Adam and Belle issued apologetic smiles to Mal, Evie and Carlos.

"We must apologize for Ben's behavior. He's not normally this reckless. We really don't know what's come over him." Belle said.

"It's fine, Belle," Mal said, giving her boyfriend's mother a smile. "Everyone's prone to reckless outbursts. We all still have them from time to time."

Evie and Carlos smiled and nodded.

* * *

Ben and Jay walked silently side-by-side as they sought out Gia's room.

"Here we are." Ben murmured as they stopped outside Gia's room. Jay stopped and motioned for Ben to knock.

The king did as requested and knocked. When no response came, he opened the door.

Gia stood at her floor-length mirror examining the sample dress that Evie had given her a week ago to try out but hadn't gotten around to trying on. She looked over to the door to see that Ben and Jay had stuck their heads in.

"Get out." She said her voice was poisonous enough to make Ben's skin crawl.

"Dad sent us up." Ben said as he and Jay slipped into the room.

"I bet he did." Gia turned back to her mirror.

"We came to apologize, Your Ladyship." Jay said sincerely.

Gia snorted. "Has Fairy Godmother been teaching the VKs chivalry?"

"He's being serious, Gia." Ben said using his best voice of reason.

Gia turned to face Ben and concentrated on accessing his thoughts.

Gone were the thoughts of Mal and in were the apologetic thoughts that now flooded Ben's mind. While the thoughts weren't exactly overwhelming, they were a little… under-baked. However, when had Gia _ever_ been able stay mad at Ben?

Allowing her shoulder tension to lessen, Gia allowed her head to lull to the side as if she was observing her foster brother and Mal's friend. She groaned and rolled her eyes. "You are both forgiven… for now." She eyed them both for a moment before heading over to her mirror-less vanity and grabbed one of the earring clips that were sitting on the table and clipped it over the outer part of her ear. She picked up the other one and did the same with the other ear.

"You know I love you Ben, right?"

"Ah, yeah." Ben nodded.

"You're my little brother in all but blood but I would _really_ appreciate it if you never breathe a word of what happened to anyone outside our little group and your parents. Clear?"

"Got it." Ben nodded.

Gia turned to Jay. "Jay?"

"Oh, ah, yes, Your Highness." Jafar's son bowed his head.

Gia laughed. "Cute. Really cute."

"My lady?" Jay frowned.

"Cut the Formalities. You know as well as Ben does that I am not a royal by birth."

"I know but you're Belle and Adam's ward so that makes you royal, in a good sense of the word."

Gia hadn't expected to be as flattered as she thought. "You forget I'm adopted by former monarchs. I'm no more their daughter then I follow the path of evil."

"Mom and dad love you, G," Ben said gently. "To them, you _are_ their daughter."

Gia had always known Belle and Adam loved her as their own but sometimes she wondered if they were just being nice to her because Belle had been friends with her mother.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Jay pulled his phone of his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and read the message on the lock screen.

"What is it?" Ben asked upon seeing his friend frown.

"Evie says your mom wants to see us." Jay said turning to Ben. He then turned back to Gia. "You have to come too. It's not a request. It's a demand."

Gia rolled her eyes. "Well, what are we waiting for? We don't want to keep Belle waiting." She turned to walk towards the boys, taking Ben's arm before the trio headed for the door.

* * *

Ben, Gia and Jay found Mal, Evie and Carlos in the throne room with Belle and Adam.

"What's going on?" Ben asked his parents as he, Jay and Gia entered.

"Your father and I are going to the Summer Palace for a few weeks. Since you've chosen to stay here for the summer, we just wanted to say our goodbyes." Belle said. She wasn't angry anymore with Ben, which was a great relief.

"Have fun." Gia said as she and Ben stepped forward to hug Belle and Adam.

"We will and if any of you ever need a break throughout the summer, please call before you come and join us."

The villain kids exchanged smiles.

"Gia, my dear," Adam said. "If you will."

Gia stepped away from Ben and waved her hand at Belle and Adam making them disappear.

"Wow," Mal said impressed. "A transportation spell. You _have_ to teach me how to do that."

Everyone in the room laughed.

Ben stepped to Mal's side, wrapping an arm around her.

"Transportation spells are… tricky," Gia said with a curt nod "But nonetheless, I can teach you."

" _More_ school work? Summer has only just begun." Ben said in mock disbelief.

Gia glared at him. "I wasn't going to teach Mal _now,_ Benjamin," Gia said teasingly. "When school returns for the year I will."

Ben blinked and shook his head. "Ouch, headache."

"Oh stop complaining Benny-boo." Mal laughed as she punched him in the shoulder.

Jay, Carlos and Evie rolled their eyes in annoyance.

Ben cringed as Mal's fist connected with his shoulder. Who knew a girl could punch so hard? Yet, he had grown up with Gia.

* * *

" _Sorry for punching you before."_ Mal apologised as she walked hand-in-hand with Ben across the Cathedral Courtyard.

"It's okay," he smiled. "I grew up with Gia, remember?"

"Ah, yes. She-who-knows-karate."

Ben snorted. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not," Mal laughed. "I never thought a villain-turned-hero child would need to know defense techniques."

"Well, when you're the child of a villain you need such defenses to show you aren't weak." Ben debated.

"Oh. Gia's not weak. She's a _strong_ chick, I'll give her that." Mal said in amusement.

"I agree." Ben chuckled.

They walked in silence for a moment before Ben pulled her to him. Mal giggled as Ben kissed her forehead. She smiled as she rested her head against his chest, his arms tightening around her. The couple stood that way for an even long moment, just happy to be together.

Mal had never felt happiness the way she did when she was around Ben. He had shown her so much and yet, she wondered why he would even consider being with her when there were other worthy girls, notably princesses out there that were more worthy. Audrey had been right about one thing: Ben really was too trusting. He had had taken a gamble in inviting her and her friends to Auradon and it had almost unraveled.

She thought back to her time on the Isle of the Lost and her childhood and wondered what it would have been like if her mother had _actually_ cared about her. Had Maleficent ever loved her? Was the Mistress of Evil's current size a reflection on her love for Mal or for herself? Mal didn't want to know. She had enough love surrounding her with her _true_ family. Ben. Evie. Jay. Carlos. Lonnie. Jane. Doug. Mal knew how much they all loved her.

She had formed a sisterly bond with Evie who had become her main confidante when it came to her relationship with Ben and with fashion. Evie had even been willing to go to her when she had trouble with her cupcakes. She hadn't thought about the cupcake/digi-image incident in a while.

First Evie's cupcakes had exploded all over Audrey and then Ben had told Mal that the cupcake incident had put her digi-image in jeopardy as the photo of Audrey covered in cupcake had been tagged under the hashtag: Princess-aster. So much for making it up to Sleeping Beauty's daughter with a 'harmless' painting of Audrey as her mother. Then there was the whole backfiring spell Jane had cast on Audrey's hair. Talk about Audrey having issues with the VKs. It was obvious that Sleeping Beauty's daughter was jealous.

The bond Mal had with Carlos and Jay was similar to the one she shared with Evie. They were protective of her but they didn't dish out advice so Mal didn't ask. She already knew that they had given Ben a 'stern' talking to.

While she might not have been the forgiving type before her adventures in Auradon, Mal had forgiven Jane for her cruel comment during the aftermath of Family Day. She knew she was to blame for Jane's ego going to the daughter of the Fairy Godmother's head. She was surprised that Jane and Fairy Godmother had forgiven her at all. As a token of her forgiveness, Mal had returned Jane's hair back to the way it had been before the Family Day drama.

Ben looked down at Mal to see that her eyes were closed and a smile had taken its place on her face. In the short time he had known her, he had very quickly realised that she knew how to keep him on his toes. From the flirting to the little recent acts of devotion, Ben knew Mal was the one for him. Sure, she was the daughter of one of Auradon's greatest enemies but what did he care? He was in love.

He had seen the goodness in Mal from the start and he knew that he had been smitten with her the moment he had seen her in the dream he'd had months earlier.

"Answer this for me," Ben said finally causing Mal to look up. "How would you feel if Gia taught you to control your magic?"

Mal thought about that for a moment. "But I know how to control my magic."

"I know that but maybe Gia can teach you _good_ magic."

"If you're talking about the digi-image thing and the painting of Audrey that I did, I think it was one of my best works," Mal caught the look of seriousness on Ben's face. "And yet I apologised." She said smoothly. "Isn't that enough?"

Ben pursed his lips. "Anyway, what do you think?"

"I think it might be handy." Mal said begrudgingly.

Ben smiled inwardly. He knew Mal felt uneasy about someone else helping her with her magic.

"You'll be in good hands." Ben promised as he gave her a tight squeeze.

"How does it work exactly?" Mal asked.

"How does what work?" Ben asked in confusion.

"How does the whole magic locket thing work? Auradon doesn't have that much magic does it?" Mal elaborated.

Ben bit his lip. "There are only a select few who have access to magic but not all of them use it. It is used sparingly."

"Like Fairy Godmother used her wand at your coronation?" Mal guessed.

"Something like that. Gia's locket, it's a little bit different."

"How?"

"Well, like it was mentioned before, Gia was born mortal and was given the locket when she was a year old."

"To serve you as your majordomo." Mal put in.

"Yeah, don't interrupt." Ben scolded with a smile.

Mal went silent and returned her head to Ben's chest.

"Gia only has access to magic via her locket. Without it, she's powerless but there could be a chance that because she has been wearing it for so long, her magic could be engrained in her DNA."

"Is that even possible?" Mal asked.

"Fairy Godmother seems to think so."

"What does mean exactly?"

"I would assume that any children she has in the future would be born with magic in their DNA as opposed to having _artificial_ magical abilities."

"Artificial." Mal snorted in amusement. "Nice."

"There's a lot about magic you aren't aware of. If you're willing to try, Gia can teach you." Ben knew that talking Mal into something was useless but he had to try.

"I never thought anyone would ask me to learn magic. I always assumed that because I had magic I would be able to control it."

"Dark magic you would be able to control because it's who you are. Good magic is something you're still learning." Ben told her knowingly.

"You've been planning this talk a while, haven't you?" Mal asked an eyebrow rising.

"What would you do if I said yes?"

Mal smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

"So much for me making the first move." Ben murmured in her ear.

Mal smiled against his shoulder. "You tried and failed." She whispered playfully in return.

Ben kissed her forehead again before moving his arm to rest around her shoulders. "Come on, let's go find the others."

* * *

Evie sat on the floor of her and Mal's dorm room with a roll of fabric and a look of determination on her face. Carlos, Jay and Gia all sat watching her.

The roll of fabric was a sparkly purple (Mal's favorite shade).

"Hey guys." Ben greeted as he pulled Mal into the room by the hand.

"Hey." The four on the floor replied half-heartedly.

"Wow," Mal said flatly. "I have never seen any of you look quite so…"

"Determined." Ben finished for her.

Evie threw Mal a look of distaste that Maleficent's daughter simply ignored.

"Please don't tell me that whatever you're making, E is for me." Mal said, grimacing at the sight of the sparkly roll of fabric.

"Relax, M. It's not for you." Evie said prompting Mal to sigh in relief. "It's for Lady Gia."

All eyes turned to Gia.

"Me?" Gia frowned.

"Yeah, your _Set It Off_ routine with Ben and his parents the night we," Evie pointed to Mal, Jay, Carlos and to herself. "Returned to Auradon inspired me to help make costumes for the Auradon City Dance Company."

Ben bowed his head to hide the fact that he was smiling.

"That's so sweet of you, Ev." Gia cooed.

"I spoke to the royal seamstresses and they were kind enough to give me your measurements." Evie smiled.

"Remind me to go to you for a wedding dress whenever and if I ever get married." Gia laughed.

Evie squealed with glee at the idea and clapped her hands before returning to her work.

Carlos had moved from the floor to the desk and was tinkering with something.

"What's that?" Mal asked turning to Carlos.

"A new remote control for the TV in the Student Lounge."

"What happened to the one in the Student Lounge?" Ben asked.

"Someone broke it," Jay said. "And before you start accusing us, it wasn't. Carlos decided to make a better one."

"What's everybody up to this weekend?" Ben asked, ignoring Jay's explanation.

"I was hoping to get Dude to master our newest routine." Carlos said from the desk.

"Which is?" Jay snorted.

"The rollover, drop and play dead." Carlos said simply.

" _That's_ what that was? I thought it was just as series of rollovers." Mal teased.

Carlos ignored her and continued to tinker.

"I'm staying here," Evie sighed. "I've got plenty of sewing to keep me occupied for like two years."

"Jay?" Mal said turning to Jay.

"Just chillin'." Jay said with a smooth gesture of his hands.

Gia snorted. "Really? That's not exactly a weekend worthy plan."

"And about you, my lady?" Jay said flirtatiously.

Gia merely stared at him, an eyebrow shooting up her forehead. "I have two days worth of meetings with allianced kingdoms."

"Meetings?" Mal said, confused. "I thought Ben had to be present for any meetings."

Gia pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope. A majordomo can temporarily take a monarch's place within a political meeting. Just ask Cogsworth and Zazu. Normally it's best if a monarch is _over_ the age of eighteen."

"I didn't exactly sign up to be king," Ben said. "Dad could have waited until I was eighteen but no, he put his foot down and said, 'No, you're becoming king at sixteen. I want an early retirement.'" He rolled his eyes.

"How kingly of you to roll your eyes." Mal giggled.

"Yeah, well, he's right," Gia said as she jumped to her feet. "I had best get ready. First meeting's in an hour and if I'm not ready, they're going to be cutting into me and blaming my lateness and lack of style on Ben."

"Who're you facing?" Jay asked.

"The Charmings, Aurora, Philip, Stefan and Leah. Go figure." Gia rolled her eyes.

"Anyone else?" Evie asked as she picked up a pair of scissors and started cutting. "Yeah, Queen Tiana and King Naveen who both incredibly lovely and of course, Aladdin and Jasmine, Agrabah's Sultan and Sultana."

Jay perked up at the mention of his father's enemies. "What are they like?"

"Who?" Gia asked.

"Aladdin and Jasmine."

"They're lovely people. You already know their son, Aziz." Ben said.

"I do?" Jay frowned in confusion.

"He's on the Tourney Team with us. He's number eleven." Carlos said, putting down his screwdriver.

"Oh him! Yeah, I thought he looked familiar."

"I'll leave you guys to it. See you later." Gia and turned to left the dorm.

"Bye." The group chorused just as the door closed behind her.

After a moment, Carlos returned to his tinkering while Jay looked around awkwardly. He caught the look Ben was giving him.

"What?" Jafar's son said, frowning.

"You're in love with Gia." Ben said bluntly.

Evie, Mal and Carlos looked over to see the varying expressions that passed over Jay's face. They knew he could deny everything but even they knew there he couldn't keep his feelings bottled up forever.

Jay looked at Ben. "You're not going to give me the 'brother talk', are you?" he asked nervously.

Evie and Mal gasped.

Carlos looked over to see that Jay had gone incredibly pale.

"I won't unless you want me to." Ben said sincerely.

"We want deets," Mal cooed excitedly. "Out with it." She all but ordered.

Jay rolled his eyes. Mal had come a long way since their days as the top villainous offspring on the Isle of the Lost. "You really do sound like your mom." He muttered.

"Why thank you." She beamed.

"I've had the attraction to her from the moment she and Ben welcomed us back."

"And you've never acted on it?" Ben asked.

"How could I?" Jay said. "She's out of my league. She's the _Lady of Auradon_ and I'm Jafar's riffraff son."

Ben and Mal exchanged looks.

Evie put down her scissors.

Carlos put his screwdriver down again.

"Jay, you are NOT out of Gia's league. I mean, look at me. I'm totally out of Ben's league and he still loves me." Mal looked over at Ben who nodded in argeement.

"Yeah, Doug loves me for simply being me." Evie put in.

"Jane and I are the same way." Carlos added.

"Ah," Mal said turning to Carlos. "You and Jane aren't official."

"We are _going_ to make it official, Mal." Carlos clenched his jaw in annoyance. "We're just trying to work out when we can make the 'announcement'." Carlos did air quotation marks.

"Well, I don't see any point now," Evie said. "You've already told us and from I heard from Lonnie before she left for China, Jane told her mom so I would say it is pretty much official."

Carlos' shoulders slumped. "Well, okay then."

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure Fairy Godmother is thrilled to know that her daughter is dating a VK." Mal joked.

"Mal, you aren't helping." Ben warned.

"It's fine," Carlos said brushing off the king's concern. "No one ever expects much from me. I'm nothing special."

"That's not true," Ben said. "You are special in your own unique way."

"He's right, C. You are special." Mal said. "Jane is special because she knows how to pick a good guy." She issued Carlos with a kind smile.

"Thanks guys." Carlos said. "You guys are the greatest."

* * *

Gia made her way towards the council chamber dressed in the lightest sundress she owned. Sure, royalty had raised her but she was nothing more then a pauper. Adam might have given her the title of Lady of Auradon when he and Belle had adopted her.

Sitting upon her slicked back black hair was a ceremonial silver circlet that she very rarely got to wear. It was custom for any ward, princess or queen to wear a circlet during ceremonies or meetings whenever they sat in the king's place. Adam had made sure it was protocol and he had made sure anyone that sat on any of the councils knew that.

When Ben was old enough to marry then his queen could lead the meetings but Gia knew that if Ben's queen happened to be Mal, those who hated the idea of a VK sitting at Ben's side would certainly try to start a war. Now was not the time to ponder on that. Ben was still a teenager, a child at best. Marriage wasn't on the cards for him, just yet. He still had high school and college to consider.

Stopping at the council chamber doors, she took a deep breath.

"Ready, ma'am?" Cogsworth asked politely.

"Yes, Cogsworth." Gia nodded.

Cogsworth pulled open the doors and announced her. "All rise for her Ladyship, Lady Gianna of Auradon."

The council rose; some of them were hesitant. Gia didn't need to look to know who the hesitaters were.

"Welcome all," Gia began as she stepped to the head of the table. "I know this must be a massive inconvenience to you all as it is now summer. There are better things to be done, I am sure."

"Where's Ben, my dear?" King Stefan asked kindly.

"He has other things to contend with which is why, I am heading today's meeting."

From his place next to his father, Chad snorted before muttering, "Yeah, probably screwing his villainous hag."

Gia's head shot up. "Is there something you wish to share, Chad?" she said, her voice acidic.

"No, my lady." Chad hissed.

Cinderella gave Gia a sympathetic look before giving her son a look of disgust.

Next to her mother, Audrey smirked.

Gia didn't miss the look on Audrey's face.

"Philip!" Gia hissed, her voice loud and demanding. "Please keep your bitch of a daughter under control."

"How dare you!" Queen Leah shrieked as she shot out of her chair. "How dare you insult my granddaughter?!"

"Your granddaughter is the reason I'm here, Leah." Gia barked. "She is the reason why Ben spent a week away from Mal." Gia then turned her rant on Charming. "And you, Charming. You ought to be ashamed. You raised a son that I know Ella is appalled to call her child." Gia turned, addressing the rest of the table. "A hero offspring should be kind, regal and just." Gia turned to Mulan and Shang. "Lonnie is the perfect example. She was willing to accept the fact that villain kids were going to be at Auradon Prep. She even took it upon herself to introduce herself and befriend them."

Mulan and Shang smiled. Their daughter had done them proud.

Gia's gaze turned to Chad and Audrey. "Take Lonnie's example to heart my dears because no one will dare bow to you when you reign."

Chad and Audrey bit back retorts. They had been taught, as monarchs-to-be that experience and kindness was everything.

Gia sat down. Queen Leah remained standing.

"Mother," Aurora murmured. "Please, sit down. You have said your part."

"I have not, my darling. Don't you remember that it was _Mal_ 's mother that put you under that sleeping curse?"

Gia looked between the mother and daughter.

"Grammy, please don't do this here." Audrey murmured. She had already been humiliated enough today.

"No, I will, Audrey. If that _girl_ takes the throne as queen when Ben is ready to marry then there's going to be one hell of a war."

Gia shot out of her chair before she could stop herself. "You think threatening war before something has even happened is going to get you what you want?"

Chad rose out of his own chair. "What say do you have to say such a thing? You aren't even royalty and have no place among us."

"Chad!" shrieked Cinderella, grabbing her son's wrist in a vain attempt to get him to sit down.

"Enough please!" Jasmine cried. When her pleas were unsuccessfully heard, her husband patted her hand while Naveen and Tiana gave them sympathetic smiles.

Cinderella and the other council members who weren't participating in the verbal slinging match, looked visibly uncomfortable. They all admired Ben and they were willing to stand by him even if the Charming men and Aurora's family weren't.

For ten minutes, the argument continued.

Aladdin looked dizzy.

Jasmine looked nauseated and pale.

Mulan and Shang had their heads down, hoping to block out most of what was being said.

Tiana and Naveen looked about ready to throw things.

Cinderella sat back in her chair and shook her head.

Gia lowered herself into her chair and just listened to the words being slung back and forth like an out of control game of paintball. After another few minutes, she had had it with the arguing. "ENOUGH!" she boomed causing all around the table to cover their ears.

Once the room was quiet she sighed in relief. "That's better. Can we please," she clenched her teeth. "Start our meeting?"

Cinderella pushed Charming back into his seat.

Stefan gave his wife, son-in-law, daughter and granddaughter each a dirty look.

"Thank you Stefan for putting leashes on your family." Gia gave the aging former king a kind smile.

Stefan bowed his head, allowing himself to smile.

Stefan's family looked at each other and grumbled amongst themselves as they sat down.

"Fine," Charming snapped. "Let's get onto the main agenda."

Everyone at the table gave him pointed looks.

Gia sat at the ready with the pile of notes Ben had given her that morning.

"Okay, the reason why Ben called this meeting is to address the issue of what _some_ parents are saying about the VKs."

Those opposed to the VKs rolled their eyes.

"We were just talking about that!" Leah hissed.

"No, we were talking about the way the VKs are being treated by many that are sitting at this table." Stefan interjected, looking at each of those opposing figures.

Leah leaned back in her chair, unhappy with the fact that her husband had stood up to her.

Gia forced back a grin. There was no doubting now that even after so many years, Stefan had finally learned to stand up to his wife.

"There is a difference." Mulan put in.

Leah turned to look at her, malice written all over her old face.

Mulan didn't seem fazed by Leah's look of malice. She had seen a lot of it during her time in the Chinese Army.

 _Score one for Team VK,_ Gia smirked as she sat back in her chair.

"What _difference_ is there, Mulan?" Leah snapped.

"We all have enemies, yes. Your family's enemy is _Maleficent_ NOT her daughter. Lonnie's mother turned to Cinderella and her family. "Ella, your enemy is your stepmother and stepsisters who are, thankfully on the Isle of the Lost. Your husband and son should have no reason to have anything against Mal and her friends."

"You know them by name?" Aurora exclaimed.

"Yes, for a matter of fact. I've met them and I've seen what my daughter has seen."

"And what was that?" Aurora raised her head defiantly.

"They have goodness within them. I've seen it. Mal and Evie are not their mothers. Sure, Mal looks like Maleficent but that's it. Ben dotes on her every word as does her friends. Evie is so sweet and gentle and bubbly. Carlos is a little shy but once you get to know him, he is kind and is willing to go above and beyond to help his friends."

"And what of Jay, Jafar's son?" Aladdin asked curiously. Jasmine nodded in agreement with her husband. Aziz had told them many things about Jafar's son.

"He's a delight, Aladdin. He's quick-witted, a bit of a lady's man but is a gentle giant. Aziz was right to speak highly of him. He's a bit like you, actually."

Aladdin allowed himself to smile.

Gia bowed her head, hiding the smirk that had formed on her face.

"Well, I certainly like the sound of them." Naveen said approvingly. "They sound like fun kids."

"They are fun kids, Naveen." Gia said. "If it wasn't for Ben inviting them here then many of the kids at Auradon Prep would not have learned what it's like to associate with villainous offspring."

It was good to see that Tiana and Naveen were on side. Their daughter, Rayna was one of Gia's best friends and had the same views as she did.

For the next two hours, the tension still hung in the air even as the topic changed to other more pressing issues.

By the time the meeting ended, Gia felt incredibly drained. She had kept all her rage bottled up. It was something she did a lot. It was painful but as Ben's majordomo Gia knew she had to keep up appearances.

While she hadn't been trained to be Ben's advisor, she had always had this urge to shield him whenever things got heated. She knew Cinderella had kept her end of the deal they had made. They'd tried keeping Ben out of it but they'd told him to keep his distance from Chad. Ben had asked why with Gia simply telling him she'd explain later.

Watching the meeting disperse from the room, Gia was surprised when Tiana and Naveen stopped next to her.

'That was a brave thing you did, Gia." Tiana said with a kind smile.

"You think so?" Gia asked.

"We know so." Naveen said, exchanging looks with his wife. "Your loyalty to Ben has never been questioned by any of us."

Gia looked to Tiana who nodded in agreement. "Naveen's correct, my dear. Ben is a great kid. Belle and Beast raised him right. Them raising you to be his advisor was a smart move." Tiana winked.

"Oh, and Rayna will be up tomorrow." Naveen said.

"She is?" Gia asked.

"She's missing you like crazy," Tiana said. "She's still a little put out that you didn't go to college with her."

"Yeah, well my duties as Ben's majordomo come first."

"We understand." Naveen said, placing a hand on Gia's shoulder.

"Rayna's incredibly proud of you. She even comments on how well you're handling things as Ben's advisor."

Gia allowed herself to smile. The way Belle and Adam had raised her had everything to do with her being Ben's majordomo. She couldn't have been more thankful to have such wonderful guardians.

* * *

Mal and Ben lay on the cool concrete of the stone gazebo at the Enchanted Lake. They had dismissed themselves from their friends a half hour earlier, after Jay and Carlos had gotten into an argument. Evie had tried to stop it but had ended up in the middle of it leaving Ben and Mal to get up and leave.

Mal's head rested on Ben's chest as they listened to the peaceful sounds of the lake moving down stream.

"I wish we could do this more often." Ben sighed.

Mal lifted her head and looked down at him and smiled. "So do I. We have the rest of the summer to do this."

"Yeah, but it won't last forever. We'll have to return to school sooner or later."

"Maybe we should have taken your parents' offer." Mal said as she sat up.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"We could have gone with them to the Summer Palace." Mal elaborated.

"Bit late now." Ben said. "Gia isn't going to send us without letting my parents know first. You know what she's like. Rules and regulations."

"Then persuade her to let us go."

"How?"

Mal shrugged and quickly gave up her argument before returning her head to his chest. "Life sucks."

Ben laughed. "Says the girl that accidentally sent us, Evie and Audrey to the Isle of the Lost."

"That wasn't my fault. I didn't even know that it was going to turn into a wish that came off Jordan's lamp."

"That is why Gia has to teach you."

"Does _she_ know she has to teach me?" Mal teased.

"No," Ben sighed. "But I have an idea that I think will benefit you both."

"And that is?"

"Not going to tell you. It's a surprise."

Mal groaned causing Ben to chuckle and kiss her forehead.

* * *

"Will you both shut up?!" Evie yelled at Carlos and Jay as they continued to argue.

The boys ignored her.

"…No, its mine!" Carlos yelled.

Evie looked between her two male friends before throwing up her hands. She couldn't spend one afternoon in her own dorm without Jay and Carlos ruining it.

"Okay, you know what?" she said as she got up and left the room.

Jay and Carlos didn't even acknowledge her as she left to the room and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Stomping down the corridor, Evie was surprised to find Ben and Mal coming towards her.

"Hey!" she greeted in a vain attempt not to show how flustered she was.

"Hi." Mal said. "How are Jay and Carlos now?"

Evie groaned. "Don't ask."

"That bad, huh?" Ben said.

"Where have you two been?" Evie asked, curiously, despite already knowing.

"The Enchanted Lake," said Mal with a shrug. "We had to get away from those two."

"Next time," Evie said, grabbing Mal by the shoulders. "Take me with you."

"We'll put that into consideration." Ben promised.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Evie fished around inside her skirt pocket for her phone. Pulling it out, she squealed when she saw that she had a message.

Evie giggled. "I just got a message from Doug."

"How is he?" Ben asked.

"Good. Here's what he has to say." She turned the phone around so its screen was facing Ben and Mal.

The message read:

 _Hey Evie, it's Doug._

 _I just wanted to check in and see how everything was back at school. I'm having a blast with my family but it's not quite the same without you here. My dad has thought over what Ben said about the VKs and understands that not all kids are their parents. He finally has come around to the fact that you are not your mother._

 _I don't know whether Ben or anyone at school has told you but there is a special day, similar to Family Day where parents get to visit their kids. It's a much smaller event to Family Day and only parents of overachievers are invited meaning my dad is coming, along with my mother, uncles and aunts and they would love to meet you. The day, I think, is a couple of weeks into the new school year. Don't panic, my dad is pretty forgiving, so he doesn't hold a grudge against you because your mother tried to kill Snow White._

 _I hope to hear from you soon,_

 _Doug xxx_

"Aww!" Mal cooed. "That's cute."

"The dwarves are pretty forgiving." Ben said, agreeing with Doug's text message.

Mal knew better then to question other people's beliefs. She knew exactly how Ben must have felt.

"We'd better let you get back to Doug." Ben said as Evie continued down the hall.

Once Evie was out of earshot, Ben turned to Mal. "We can't go back to your dorm."

Mal nodded. "Then where are we going to go?"

Ben thought for a moment. "I think I know. Come on."

* * *

Gia sat on her bed, her phone in her hand.

" _G? You in here?"_ She heard Ben call from the other side of her door.

"Yeah."

The door opened revealing Ben and Mal.

"Hi." Gia greeted.

"Hey." Mal said with a smile.

"What're you guys up to?"

"We were going to go back to the dorm but Evie said that the guys are still arguing so we decided to come and see you instead." Ben explained quickly. "What are _you_ doing?" He sat down beside her.

"Just messaging Rayna." Gia shrugged as she looked down to find another message.

"Rayna?" Mal questioned. She looked to Ben. "Do we know her?"

"You don't but I do. She's Tiana and Naveen's daughter. She's about Gia's age."

"Tiana and Naveen. Tiana and Naveen. Why do those names sound familiar?" Mal mused.

"You know their enemy, Doctor Facilier."

"Oh yeah! Doctor Facilier the headmaster and founder of Dragon Hall. Those were some _fun_ times."

"Is it true you and Ben know his daughter?" Gia asked.

"Yeah, we do. Freddie. She's just as mad as her father. Witch doctors must _run_ in that family."

"I met her when Mal accidentally sent us, Evie and Audrey to the Isle of the Lost. She ended up in Auradon when Mal wished us back to Jordan's lamp but Freddie went back to the island." Ben cringed.

"It wasn't _that_ bad." Mal said with a roll of her eyes.

"Can we not argue about it now?" Gia butted in. "Rayna's comin'."

"When?" Ben asked.

"Tomorrow. She's spending a couple of days with us before she has to head home."

"A couple of days?" Mal frowned. "Doesn't she live in Auradon?"

"She use to. When we graduated from Auradon Prep last year, she wanted to attend college back home in New Orleans."

"Wait, I thought Naveen and Tiana were from Maldonia." Now Mal was confused.

"They are, or rather that's their part of the kingdom," Ben explained. "Tiana is from New Orleans and they live there but they also divide their time in Maldonia."

"And I thought my life was complex." Mal muttered.

"So, we up for tomorrow's adventure with Rayna?" Gia asked.

"You bet." Mal smiled. "It's not everyday a VK meets an AK who use to live in Auradon."

"Trust me, you are going to _love_ Rayna. In fact, you remind me of her." Gia said.

"I do?"

Gia nodded. "She's sassy, fun and nowhere near as self-absorbed as a said Sleeping Beauty wannabe."

Mal grinned.

"You've got nothing to worry about when it comes to Rayna." Ben said.

"I'm sure I don't." Mal said in amusement.

* * *

The next morning, Ben and Mal joined Gia on the front steps outside the castle. Evie, Jay and Carlos said they were going to join them but Mal wasn't betting on it the way Evie had stared daggers at the boys the night before at dinner.

A black limo donning the Maldonia crest pulled up in front of the stairs. It stopped before a man got out of the front passenger seat and went to open the back door.

"Introducing Her Royal Highness, Rayna, Princess of Maldonia."

A young woman with milk chocolate coloured skin emerged from the car. She appeared to be Gia's age and she was dressed in lilypad green. She had black hair that sat at her shoulders and large sunglasses sat on top of her head, like a tiara.

"Gia, my dear," the young woman said. "I must sincerely apologise for the last minute call. Life has been crazy lately."

Gia smirked as she stepped down the couple of steps to meet her longtime friend. "When have you _ever_ been punctual?"

"Since never."

The pair hugged.

The sound of Ben's chuckle brought the pair out their hug.

"Ah, Ben, my dear. My, haven't you grown."

Ben chuckled as he stepped down to join Gia. "It's good to see you again, Rayna."

"Don't just stand there. Give ol' Rayna a hug."

Ben shook his head, laughing as he embraced his old friend.

Pulling back, Rayna went down in a quick curtsey. "Your Majesty."

"You know how I feel about formalities, Ray."

"I know but ma and pa said that it is, 'mandatory'." Rayna scoffed as she did air quotations. "Mandatory my fanny."

Rayna looked up see Mal standing awkwardly on the top step. "You must be Mal." She mounted the steps so that she was standing at eye level with Mal.

"You know my name?" Mal asked, incredulously.

"Girl, _everyone_ knows your name. Maleficent's daughter. The girl who trumped Audrey for Ben's heart. The girl who, with the help of her VK friends, defeated Maleficent. That is what I call an achievement."

Mal couldn't help but feel pride rushing through her. "What can I say?" she sighed dramatically. "I'm unique."

At the bottom of the steps, Ben and Gia exchanged grins. To them, it looked like Mal had found yet another hero friend. They climbed the steps to join her and Rayna.

"I see you have taken a real liking to my girlfriend." Ben grinned.

Rayna turned to give Ben a smirk. "I wish my boyfriend were here. You'd really take a liking to him."

"Really? Why? He got some southern spunk?" Gia joked.

"Ah, yeah." Rayna said enthusiastically.

" _Ah! Get off me Jay!"_

" _Will you two give it a rest?"_

The trio turned to see Evie trying to pry Jay away from Carlos.

"About time." Mal muttered.

"I blame these two." Evie said jerking a thumb over her shoulder at Jay and Carlos.

"Nice." Rayna said.

"Hi, you must be Rayna. I'm…"

"Evie, Evil Queen's daughter, right?"

"That's right." Evie smiled. "And the two idiots behind me are Jay and Carlos."

"Sons of Cruella De Vil and Jafar, respectively, right?"

"You're good."

"I aim to please."

"Now you _sound_ like me." Gia smiled.

"Come on. We have _a lot_ of catching up to do." Ben said as took Mal's hand and turned towards the castle.

* * *

" _So, you're a future queen."_ Rayna said as she and Mal took a walk through the castle garden. It was a few hours after Rayna's arrival and the foreign princess wanted to get to know the king's girlfriend better.

"I wouldn't say that. I haven't known Ben all that long."

"I have known Ben a _very_ long time, Mal. I have never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you."

"I've heard that a lot in the last few months." Mal sighed.

"Well, it's true. You've brought him so much happiness. Everyone deserves a happily ever after and I think, maybe you'll give Ben his."

Mal pondered over this. Did she have a full-fledged future with Ben or was their relationship only going to bring them sorrow? No. She could see herself at Ben's side as his queen.

A memory suddenly came flooding back to her as if it had occurred yesterday. It was one that she was surprised that had come to her at all as it had to do with Ben's father.

As much as Adam was intimidating, Belle had often said he was actually a big pussycat once people got to know him. Mal had started to believe she was right.

* * *

 _Flashback_

* * *

 _Ben had asked his parents to keep Mal company while he was in a meeting. Evie and the boys were all out doing their own thing, leaving Mal to occupy her time. She found herself sitting under a large tree in the castle garden with a book in her hands. Ben had said that the garden was one his mother's favorite places and Mal realised why. The places was quiet and peaceful and talk about beautiful._

"Mal?"

 _Mal looked up see Adam walking towards her._

" _Adam," she said hesitantly. "Hi."_

" _Aren't you supposed to be in class at this hour?" Adam asked as he sat down beside her._

" _I've got a free period. Ben said I could spend as much time out here as I liked." She caught the sly look Adam was giving her. "I hope that's okay with you." She said, stumbling over her words._

" _Of course." Adam had nodded. "What's ours is yours too."_

 _They sat in silence for a moment._

" _I just wanted to thank you, Mal." Adam said._

 _This took Mal by surprise. "What did I do?" she asked._

" _I just wanted to thank you for making my son happy."_

" _Oh, ah, you're welcome?"_

 _Mal hadn't been sure as to how to respond to Adam's praise._

" _I have never see Ben so happy before, even when he was with Audrey. In all honesty, I think you did Ben a real favor with that love spell."_

" _Let me guess: Belle told you about the spell?"_

 _Adam laughed and shook his head. "I know my son and I know he wouldn't just burst into song like that."_

" _Everyone's been saying that."_

" _I wasn't a big Audrey fan," Adam admitted. "I had to keep my mouth shut because her parents and the good fairies are on a few of the councils I overlooked. They were thrilled when Ben and Audrey announced they were dating. Belle and I on the other hand, weren't thrilled but we had to be supportive."_

 _Mal had thought Adam's words over. Every parent had to be supportive of their child's partner, even if they didn't like them._

" _What was your reaction when you discovered Ben and I were going out?" Mal found herself asking._

" _I wasn't happy about it to begin with but over time I came to accept it and I realised that once I got to know you, I regretted believing you were like your mother."_

" _Ah, my mom. Yeah."_

" _No child can help who their parents are, Mal. I know Ben has always thrived to live up the legacy that Belle and I created but I feel, as his father, that he will leave his own personal touch on the history of Auradon."_

 _Mal had looked at him, questioningly._

"You _are that history."_

 _Mal's eyes widened._

 _Upon seeing the look on Mal's face, Adam felt he had to elaborate. "I'm sure a lot of people have told you this but I believe that in years to come, you could be the woman sitting as Ben's queen."_

 _While this hadn't surprised her, Mal was beginning to believe that a future with Ben mightn't have been such a bad thing. She adored Ben in every sense of the word and would have done anything for him. She knew Ben loved her in every possible way but did what would people think if she became Queen of Auradon?_

" _Ah, Adam, can I ask you something?"_

" _Of course."_

" _What do you think people would think if I ever became queen?"_

 _Mal was surprised that the question hadn't caught Adam off guard._

" _There will be those that will hate the idea of a villain's child on the throne next to Ben but then there will be those who will be thrilled. Not everyone will agree."_

" _If it happens, will_ you _accept me as queen?"_

 _Adam didn't have to think twice. "Yes, I would. I've seen the impact you've had on Ben. I've seen your love for him and his for you. You'll be powerful and beloved rulers. Don't let others tell you otherwise."_

 _Mal smiled. "Thanks."_

" _For what?"_

" _For accepting me."_

 _Adam smiled._

"I thought I might find you both out here."

 _Adam and Mal looked up to see Ben walking towards them._

" _Hi." Mal greeted with a broad smile as she pulled herself to her feet. Adam rose with her._

 _Mal practically threw herself at Ben. He caught her, pulling her close._

" _How was the meeting?" Adam asked his son._

" _The usual." Ben said with a roll of his eyes. "I wish Queen Elsa's advisors didn't cut in every five seconds."_

" _Oh and Gia doesn't?" Adam teased his son._

 _Ben pursed his lips and gave his father a look of annoyance as his arms tightened around Mal. "I hope you behaved yourself for dad." He murmured in her ear._

" _Always son, always." Adam chuckled. "We had a good chat, didn't we, Mal?"_

 _Mal nodded enthusiastically. "We got to know each other a little better."_

 _"I'm glad. Can't have my father and my girlfriend fighting now can we?" Ben grinned cheekily._

" _You're in a good mood," Adam observed. "Any reason why?"_

" _For once at least one of the councils are agreeing with me."_

" _That is a massive turnaround." Mal said with a smile._

" _While it is something, don't expect it to last, son." Adam said wisely._

" _Oh believe me, I don't think for a second that it is going to last."_

 _Adam gave Ben a look of reassurance. "I shall leave you both to it." He started back towards the castle._

 _Ben held Mal tighter as if he hadn't seen her in years._

* * *

 _End Flashback_

* * *

"You okay?" Rayna said waving a hand in front of Mal's face, snapping her out of her daze.

"Yeah, fine."

What were you thinking about?"

Mal smiled. "The last time I was out here, Ben had assigned his parents to keep me company while he was in a meeting. I was reading and Adam came out and sat with me. We talked and he admitted that I could very well be a contender to be queen."

Rayna beamed. "I thought as much. Gia mentioned a lot of people have said the same thing."

"It's too soon to be making assumptions of things that might not happen." Mal said, trying to brush the subject away.

Rayna sighed. "Mal, I know you don't want to think of any kind of future with Ben at the moment, but you just never know."

Mal wanted to roll her eyes. She had heard the same thing over and over again but everyone she had spoken to spoke the undeniable truth. There _was_ a future for her with Ben. She had to embrace her destiny as the future Queen of Auradon.

"You know what?" she said turning to face her new friend. "I am just going to embrace my possible future."

"That's very good news." Rayna said with an approving nod. "Let's just keep that to ourselves for now. We don't need Ben getting any ideas."

"Don't worry," Mal chuckled. "Evie has been thinking the exact same thing."

"She has?"

"Hmm." Mal nodded. " _If_ and only if Ben ever proposes, I agreed to have Evie as my maid of honor."

"Nice move. You know, my mom had a similar pact with my Aunt Lottie."

"Really?"

"Yeah, You see, mom and Charlotte grew up together and Aunt Lottie always dreamed of marrying royalty."

Mal thought about Tiana and Naveen's story when something she remembered from Auradon History class came back to her. "I remember. Something about some guy that was fed up with your dad's naivety aided Doctor Facilier in getting your aunt's father's fortune or something."

Rayna nodded. "Yeah, Doctor Facilier squashed my parents firefly friend Raymond or Ray as he was known and the poor little guy died all because he was trying to stop him from hurting my parents." Rayna shook her head sadly. "Anyway, long story short, when my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she and my dad wanted to honor Ray in some way so they agreed to name me after him."

"Rayna. Raymond. Hmm. I think they did the right thing." Mal said. "My mom named me after herself. She said I could only take the name 'Maleficent' if I proved to her that I was just as evil as she was. But I couldn't bring myself to be like her. I am proud to say, I will be forever known as simply, Mal."

Rayna smiled. "You sound like Ben. You know, when Gia and I were growing up, we use to babysit Ben when he was younger. We always use to joke that he would be forever known as 'King Ben'. He always hated his full name."

"I can understand that," Mal said with a nod. "Evie was born Evelyn but has always been known as Evie because you know, her mom's the evil queen in Snow White's story. Evie hates her full name with a passion."

Rayna smiled as the pair walked in silence for a moment. "You know, my darling, this is might just be the start of beautiful friendship."

Mal smiled as she nodded. "I think I'm starting to agree."

* * *

Rayna walked through the dining room doors, a huge sly on her face.

"What's got you so happy?" Gia asked. She and Ben were sitting at the table with a chessboard sitting between them.

"I just had the most interesting chat with Mal." Rayna told them.

Ben and Gia looked at each other as Rayna sat down.

"I hope you didn't get yourself into trouble." Ben said as he examined his remaining chess pieces.

"When have I _ever_ gotten myself into trouble?" Rayna snorted.

"Ah, remember when we were ten?" Gia said. "Adam and your dad told us to stay put while they went to investigate a dispute between Cogsworth and that worm Lawrence? You decided to follow them anyway and dragged me into it. I ended up grounded for three weeks."

"That wasn't my fault!" Rayna protested. "How was I to know that there was security guards parked outside old Larry's room?"

Ben looked between his two old friends. "Okay, you two knock it off." He chuckled. "What did Mal say?"

"She told me about the time you entrusted your parents to keep her company while you were in a meeting. She even told me that your dad has really warmed to her." Rayna smiled.

"Yeah, he has," Ben nodded, a proud smile on his face. "It was surprising actually. When I told him and mom about the meeting and how I didn't want Mal to be by herself, mom said she had to meet with the cafeteria staff at school so imagine my surprise when dad put his hand up."

"We can imagine." Gia said. "From what your mother told me, your father wasn't exactly happy when you announced you were dating Maleficent's daughter. But she said that she was glad you chose someone who _wasn't_ that snob Audrey."

Ben groaned. "You say that _every time_ the subject of Audrey is brought up."

"So it should be," Rayna said. "Audrey is a good-for-nothing cow who likes to make others who are beneath her feel worthless. Audrey deserves _everything_ she gets."

Ben sighed. When Rayna and Gia teamed up, there was no stopping them. "Can we get on with our game?" he asked Gia.

Gia grinned. "Of course."

* * *

A couple of days later, it was time for Rayna to return home. Ben, Mal and the others stood on the castle steps. The limo donning Maldonia's crest was parked down in front.

"We hope you enjoyed your time home." Ben said as he hugged Rayna goodbye.

"It was good to be come home," Rayna said as she pulled back from Ben. "You're becoming a great king, Ben. Never lose faith in that."

Ben beamed and hugged her one last time before allowing her to move over to Gia. "Congratulations on your promotion as majordomo, dear."

Gia snorted. "I've _always_ been Ben's majordomo."

"Never mind that then." Rayna chuckled.

"It was good to see you." Gia murmured.

Rayna smiled before pulling back. She turned to see Mal and her friends step towards her. "It was a privilege to meet you all."

"It was an honor to meet you Your Highness." Carlos said with a wide smile.

Ben, Gia and Rayna laughed.

"Just Rayna, my dear Carlos. Now come here all of you." Rayna held out her arms for a group hug from the villain teens.

The VKs didn't hesitate as they hugged their new friend.

"Be sure to visit again soon. I'd love to talk fashion with you." Evie said brightly causing her friends to roll their eyes.

"I'd like that very much Miss Evie." Rayna said with an equally bright smile.

"Your Highness, it's time to go." Said the driver.

"I'll be right there." Rayna called over her shoulder. She turned back to the VKs. "I hope to be back in Auradon soon. Don't worry, my lovelies."

The car horn sounded.

Rayna looked over her shoulder before turning to wave her final goodbyes to her assembled audience.

Mal stepped to Ben's side and slipped her hand into his as the others stepped over to them, waving their goodbyes.

"Well, that was an interesting experience." Jay said as they watched the car disappear around the corner.

"Certainly was," Evie said. "I like her. She's a bundle of fun."

"I grew up with a lot of fun people in my life." Ben smirked aiming a well-aimed look at Gia who had stepped to Ben's left side. She raised her eyebrows before turning and heading back towards the castle.

* * *

 _What a chapter. I do have to apologise for Rayna's short appearance. I know cut her appearance really short but I had to otherwise the chapter would have gone forever. I have a 20,000 word limit per chapter and I don't want exceed that. I can assume you, however that Rayna will play a massive part later in the story and she will pop in and out._ _I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I will see you soon with the next one!_


	5. The New Four

**A/N:** _Hi all! I'm back. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long to be put up. I've had my other fics to contend with. Now, this chapter has some elements taken from Melissa De La Cruz's prequel novel, Isle of the Lost and the web/shorts series Wicked World. For those of you who have seen or read about them, Freddie is Doctor Facilier's daughter who appears in Wicked World and Jade is Jay's cousin who is mentioned in Isle of the Lost. The boys, Ulysses and Titus are both OCs. Now, I've mentioned Theodora and Evandora in this story and there's a reason why. The movie Oz: The Great and Powerful is a Disney "prequel" to the Wizard of Oz and explains (with added or removed elements) how the Wicked Witch of the West became evil and who the wizard was and what happened before the Wicked Witch of the East (Evanora) was crushed under Dorothy's house. Dorothy will NOT appear but many of the characters from Oz: The Great and Powerful will appear or be referenced throughout upcoming chapters. You'll also notice the character Nasira is Jade's mother. Nasira is said to be Jafar's sister in a one off video game based on Aladdin (and released by Disney) quite a few years go. Since it's not mentioned who Jade's mother is Isle of the Lost, I thought I'd connect the dots in a non-canon type of way._

 _I know there have been a few people wanting more interaction between Jay and Gia and I promise there will be but it might not be for a while. One last thing, there is a reference to a teacher/student relationship to suicide but it's only a one off. Please if it is a trigger please don't feel pressured to continue reading. Also, I do NOT condone teacher/student romantic relationships._

* * *

 **Chapter Five: The New Four**

* * *

The rest of the summer went by much quicker then anyone would have thought possible. Before anyone knew, there were a couple of weeks to go before the new school year began.

Junior year was bound to be a massive highlight as this was the year of fun before the seriousness of senior year.

Evie had to practically drag Mal, Carlos and Jay into town to buy their new school supplies.

Carlos had only agreed to go supply shopping with if Dude and Jane could join them. When there were no objections, he had agreed. Thanks to Jay, Mal and Evie, Carlos had finally gotten the courage to ask Jane out in which she had happily agreed to.

Jay had finally been able to woo Gia into going out with him. He knew his flirting and Ben's continuous prodding of Gia were bound to pay off.

Mal had been perfectly happy in spending as much time with Ben as she could. As the summer break had started to wind down, Ben had pretty much forced himself into king mode. While he didn't like it ruining the fun he was having with Mal and their friends, he knew his duties would have to become high priority.

" _I hate this!"_ Mal ranted as she paced back and forth in Ben's office.

Ben and Gia were sitting at the desk running through paperwork that had to be processed by that afternoon. They looked at each other amused by Maleficent's daughter's rants.

"Who the hell does paperwork or any type of work on summer _vacation?_ Doesn't anyone understand the definition of that anymore?"

"Well, when you're a king or in some cases a queen, your duties rule your life." Ben said in an undertone as his scanned the page in front of him.

"It's not fair!" Mal grumbled.

"We know it's not darling," Gia said looking up at Mal over the rims of her glasses. "But's just the way being a monarch works."

"Well I don't like it!" Mal exploded.

"Mal…" Ben said but Mal ignored him and continued her rant.

"I hate the fact that there is so much opinion as to who a monarch can date…"

"Mal…" Gia tried. She too was ignored.

"What is it about having a social status…?"

"Mal!" Ben and Gia cried in unison.

Mal stopped her ranting and turned to them.

Ben rose from his chair and went to comfort his girlfriend.

Mal reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer.

"I don't like this anymore then you do." Ben told her. "I can't do anything about it."

Gia chewed the end of one of the arms of her glasses.

"But you're king. You should have _some_ say." Mal insisted.

Ben sighed and clenched his jaw. "I wish it were that simple."

Mal leaned deeper into Ben's embrace, her head coming to rest against his shoulder.

"G." Ben said turning his head to look at his best friend.

"Hmm?" Gia looked up, her glasses were now back on her face.

"Do you think you could…?"

"Take over all this?" Gia gestured to the paperwork on the desk. "Yeah sure. We were almost all done here anyway."

"Thank you," Ben said, clearly relieved. He let go of Mal for a moment so he could step over and kiss his foster sister on the top of the head. "I need to get out of this office."

"Go. I'll text you when I'm done."

"Thanks."

With that, he pulled Mal out the door.

* * *

" _Sorry about before."_ Mal apologised.

"Don't worry about it. I know exactly how you feel." Ben said as they walked through Belle's garden. He sighed. "I hate being away from you."

Mal bit her lip. "When do you think your duties are going to die down?"

"I have no idea. With a couple of weeks to go until we go back to school, I have to stand up and take charge."

Mal pouted.

Seeing her expression, Ben chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug.

Mal relaxed as her head rested against his chest and her eyes to close.

For a long moment, they simply stood there. They knew that everything was going to change when they returned to school for the year. Ben would have to juggle his schoolwork, his royal duties and the amount of time he spent with Mal and their friends.

Mal knew the risks of having a king as a boyfriend. She knew Ben wouldn't have a say in how much time they spent together. It killed her to be away from him even if the time was only short but she knew she and Ben could make it work. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Oh! I nearly forgot. I have something I think you might want to see."

Ben loosened his grip on her for a moment. "Oh?"

Mal slipped her hand into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a slip of folded paper and handed it to him.

"What is it?" Ben asked eyeing the piece of paper Mal had given him.

"Read it and you'll see." Mal told him.

Ben opened the piece of paper and read what was written. "Jade, daughter of Nasira, Freddie, daughter of Doctor Facilier… is this a joke?"

"What?" Mal blinked. "Just read the rest of it."

"Ulysses, son of Ursula and Titus, son of Theodora (AKA the Wicked Witch of the West)." Ben thought about what Mal was trying to suggest. "This is a list of the next VKs."

"You got it." Mal grinned. "But tell me one thing."

"And that is?"

"What do all these VKs have in common?"

Ben looked at the list of names again, trying to figure out what these four VKs had in common. He thought back to their parents. "Magic." He said. "Their parents are all magical."

Mal nodded. "Well done. Yes, they are all magical. It was a hard choice as to whom we were going to choose but we thought these four were the best candidates. "

"Tell me something. Why did you put Freddie on here?"

"Well, if we can soften her, we can soften her father. Her father tried to rob a guy of his fortune but the poor guy was oblivious to it."

"Are we talking about Eli La Bouff, the father of Queen Tiana's best friend, Charlotte?"

Mal nodded. "Yep. You've been listening to Gia and Rayna, haven't you?"

Ben smirked. "You do realise that once Freddie's over here, she can't go back unless she wants to, right?"

"I'm aware. It was my idea to have Freddie be among the next bunch."

"Why?"

"Her dad is a witch doctor. She's a flirt but she means well. But, you already knew that."

"That's not what you said when we met her on the island." Now Ben was confused.

"That's because I was afraid of what she was going to do. She's a troublemaker but she's not as bad as my friends and I were."

"You didn't turn out so bad." Ben said thoughtfully.

Mal rolled her eyes. "That's because I had you watching over me. No, Freddie has a reputation for voodoo."

"Voodoo? As in, voodoo dolls?" Ben cringed remembering what Freddie had told him about getting cursed voodoo dolls from her father.

"Since there isn't any magic on the island, voodoo dolls only serve as props in Facilier's office at Dragon Hall and I would assume their home."

"Sounds… lovely." Ben screwed up his face at his own choice of words. He thought back to the other names on the list. "What can you tell me about..." He paused. "Jade?"

"You're on your own there," Mal said. "I don't actually know her. The best one to ask is Jay."

"Is there a reason why?"

"Let's just say, he has the most history with her." Mal said mysteriously.

"Is she his ex-girlfriend or something?" Ben asked.

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Okay, then. What about Ulysses?"

"Well, his mother is the same sea witch that cursed Ariel. Not really much else to tell really other then the fact that he's a slimy urchin. A real thief that rivals even Jay's pickpocketing skills."

"What about Titus?"

"An interest species of villain if I do say so myself. His mother is the Wicked Witch of the West, Theodora."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I wouldn't call it 'bad'. Honestly, it was hard to choose between him and his cousin, Elizabeth."

"Let me guess, daughter of Evanora, Wicked Witch of the East?"

"You've been reading up on your villain history," Mal giggled. "Yeah, that's right."

"So Glinda _isn't_ related to them?"

"Not even in the slightest. Sure, they're all witches but that doesn't mean they're all related."

"I learn something everyday."

Mal smiled and nodded before leaning up to kiss him. "I'm glad." She whispered as she pulled out of the moment.

* * *

" _Is this a good idea?"_ Chip asked Ben as the king told him whom Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos had chosen to be the next Isle of the Lost transfers. They were in the living room in the East Wing of the castle.

"Mal says these four aren't as bad as she and her friends were."

"I've heard things about Nasira," Chip said uneasily. "None of them are pleasant. What makes Mal so sure that having Nasira's daughter here will do us any good?"

Ben raised an eyebrow at his longtime friend.

Chip knew better then to argue. Having been around Belle and Adam for as long as he had been, made him think twice about a lot of things and that included Ben's first official proclamation. "Okay," he said, his hands rose in mock surrender. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Chip," Ben said. "I know you aren't keen on having more VKs here but the more we learn about them and their lifestyles the better off everyone will be."

Chip sighed. "Sorry." he said giving Ben a sympathetic smile.

"It's fine." Ben shrugged.

"Ben," Chip said. "There is a way I think we can make everybody happy."

"How?" Ben asked.

"We could look up the new VKs' parents and see what the books say about them."

"Good idea." Ben smiled. "Where do we start though?"

Chip thought for a moment.

"First, we need to know who the parents of these kids are."

"Ursula the Sea Witch. Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West. Nasira the Sorceress and Dr. Facilier the Witch Doctor." Ben said automatically.

"Right. How much do you know about any of these villains?"

"I know Facilier tried to steal Eli La Bouff's fortune. Theodora turned evil after her heart was broken by Oz and Ursula was the one that cursed Ariel."

"What about Nasira?"

"I'm not sure." Ben admitted. "I never actually heard of her."

"Maybe you _should_ ask Jay."

"I might have to."

"You do Auradon History as a class, don't you?" Chip asked.

"Yeah, but I remember only hearing about the _major_ villains. In fact, I don't think I've _ever_ heard anything about the minor villains on the island."

Chip was thoughtful. "I don't think I have either. I'll tell you what. I'll look through your mother's history books and see what I can find. You go and talk to Jay."

Ben grinned. "When have I ever _not_ been prepared?"

Chip laughed. "Off you go."

Ben smiled and hurried towards the door, pulling out his phone as he went.

* * *

Jay looked down at his phone screen, frowning. He had just received a text from Ben asking about Jade and Nasira.

Carlos was out with Jane, the girls and Dude so Jay had the room to himself.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door. Sighing, he went to open it. Sure enough, it was Ben.

"Hey Jay." Ben greeted.

"Hey Ben, come on in."

Jay stepped away from the door to allow the king to enter.

"You have information for me about Jade and Nasira?"

"Yeah, I do." Jay said as Ben closed the door.

"What do you have?"

"Jade is my cousin," Jay said straight out. "Nasira is my aunt." He sat on Carlos' bed, being mindful of the dog toys that were sitting on it.

"I've read a lot about your dad," Ben said as he pulled up a chair to sit opposite his friend. "But nothing I have heard or read has ever mentioned your dad having a sister."

"And for a good reason." Jay said.

There was something in his tone Ben was uncertain about. "What makes you say that?"

"Aunt Nasira and dad don't exactly get along. Jade and I have always gotten along because of how our parents use to treat us. Nasira and dad were always trying to outdo each other. A bit like Mal's mom and Evie's mom if you look at it correctly. Only Jafar and Nasira's rivalry isn't what you would call your classic act of sibling rivalry."

Ben knew exactly what he was referring to. Despite being an only _biological_ child, he had experienced sibling rivalry while he had been growing up with Gia as his foster sister.

"Dad and Nasira's rivalry was… bloodthirsty, for lack of a better term. They tried to kill each other so many times that Jade and I lost count."

"So what's Jade like?" Ben inquired.

"Jade's a lot like me. She was the closest thing to a sister, other then Mal that I had on the island. She's a few months younger then me but don't let that fool you. She was always trying to prove that _she_ was the better thief. Heck, she even outdid me at school."

"Is it true that Mal doesn't know her?"

"Yeah, that's true. Mal and I were two of the most popular people at Dragon Hall but that doesn't mean she knew everyone. She was feared like her mother by most."

Ben couldn't believe that Mal was actually _feared._ In Auradon, most people were getting use to the idea that their possible future Queen was Maleficent's daughter.

"I know it's hard to believe," Jay said, breaking Ben from his thoughts. "But Mal was the Audrey of Dragon Hall. She made sure people knew who she was and she wasn't afraid to humiliate anyone who did wrong by her."

"Can we get back to Jade?" Ben asked, feeling uncomfortable.

Jay smirked. He loved to make people's skin crawl. "Sure."

For the next hour, Jay told Ben everything he could about Jade and her mother. He knew that Ben was only being cautious. To be honest, he couldn't blame him after what happened on Family Day and at the Coronation the year before.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Ben pulled him phone from his pocket and found that Chip had texted him.

 _Found some information on Nasira and the other villains. Meet you in your mother's library. Chip._

"Thanks Jay. I have to meet Chip back at home. When you see the others, thank them for me, will you?"

"Sure thing, bro."

Ben rose from his chair and picked it up to place it back where it belonged. He then headed for the door and slipped out.

* * *

Chip looked through all the book titles he had pulled from Belle's library shelves about Nasira and her fellow villains. He had just picked up a book about Ursula when Ben entered the library.

"I found out as much as I could from Jay about Nasira and Jade."

"I found out about the other villains." Chip said as Ben walked over to join him.

"Jade is Jay's cousin. Nasira is her mother." Ben said.

"That makes Jade Jafar's niece." Chip concluded. "Nasira is Jafar's sister."

Ben nodded. "What did you find out about the other villains?"

"Quite a bit. If your father were here, he would say that our research is pointless. But I tend to disagree. The more we know about the villain parents of these new children then the better it will be when they get here."

Ben chewed his lip. "Dad was against the idea of having VKs over here from the beginning."

"Let's prove him wrong, shall we?"

The young king smirked, ready to prove his father wrong.

* * *

The Isle of the Lost was buzzing with the new rumor that four more petty offspring of the island's villains were being offered a chance to redeem themselves in Auradon.

Jafar had heard rumors his niece, Jade was among the ones that King Ben had agreed to. That's right. _Agreed_ to. NOT chosen. The former vizier had no doubts that Mal, Jay, Carlos and Evie were behind the selection. In a way, he was glad as it would give Jade a chance to get away from her bitch of a mother. He was still living (partially) at Bargain Castle as Maleficent wasn't around to boot him, Evil Queen and Cruella out.

" _Jafar!"_ screeched an all too familiar voice.

Jafar rolled his eyes and turned his head to see his sister, Nasira stomping towards him, pushing Evil Queen and Cruella out of the way as she went.

The sorceress' eyes were murderous. Her ragged gown dragged behind her and her heels clicked on the concrete floor as she walked. Her appearance gave a whole new definition to the praise, 'If looks could kill.'

"Nasira!" Jafar crowed in faux welcome. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"What is this I hear that _my_ Jade has been chosen to go to Auradon?"

"I have no idea, dear sister. This information is news to me too."

Nasira wasn't convinced. "Oh please," she spat. "It's clear to me your brat of a son is behind the decision."

While Jafar had only used Jay to do his bidding, a tiny bit of him loved his son for making his _own_ decision in creating his own life in Auradon. "Maybe he did. Your point?"

From where they were sitting, Cruella and Evil Queen exchanged looks.

Since their children had been in Auradon, the three villains had questioned whether or not they had been right to treat their children the way they had. Of course, they would never tell another villain about their sudden change of heart. If anyone found out, they'd be as good as dead.

"I don't want her going." Nasira said, lifting her chin defiantly.

"I can't do anything to stop her going. I had _nothing_ to do with it, Nasira."

"I know you d-"

" _Mom!"_

Jafar and Nasira stopped bickering.

A teenage girl no older then Jay entered the room. Her black hair sat up in a tight bun at the back of her head. She had similar pointed facial features to her mother and uncle and dressed in the same maroon and yellow leather as her cousin Jay. Her eyes shone like jade green emeralds.

"Jade, my darling," Nasira purred. "I thought you were at school."

"Cut the crap mom," Jade spat. "You were talking about me, _again_! I thought we agreed no talking about me, even with Uncle Jafar."

"Jade, my little parrot," Jafar put on a fake smile. "What have you got for your dear old uncle?"

Cruella and Evil Queen rolled their eyes.

Jade wasn't impressed. "Oh, shut your trap, uncle." She snapped.

Jafar did as he was told. Back when he was the Grand Vizier of Agrabah, he would never have put up with such insolence from a child, let alone one that was related to him. But now, it didn't matter seeing as all the villains on the island were treated in the same manner: disrespect. They had lost their rights to their own 'happily ever afters' to the heroes of their stories and now their lives were worth pretty much nothing.

"Better." Jade smirked.

It was creepy to Jafar to see a similar smirk spread across his niece's face that reminded him of Jay.

"I don't care what you both say. I am going to Auradon. I would rather live there then on this piece of junk."

The villains in the room frowned.

"You can't stop me." Jade said defiantly. "King Ben is giving kids like me and _dear_ cousin Jay a chance that his father and other heroes wouldn't."

Nasira and Jafar looked at each other. It was rare for Jade to put up a good argument.

What surprised Jade the most was the idea of her mother and uncle not arguing every ten seconds when they were together.

"I'm going and there is nothing you can say that will change that." Jade then turned on her heel and left.

* * *

" _The new King of Auradon wants US to join our follow VKs at Auradon Prep?"_ Ulysses asked. Like his mother, Ulysses had grey-white hair and was dressed in black.

The boy was sitting with Jade, Titus and Freddie in an alley not far from Maleficent and Mal's former home of Bargain Castle.

"You heard right," Jade said with a nod. "My cousin Jay is already over there."

"With the De Vil kid, that pampered princess and Mal." Titus said with a roll of his eyes. His yellow snake-like eyes shone like the moon and his green skin practically glowed with the idea of going to Auradon. He wanted to get away from his mother's complaining about how she and her sister couldn't take down that blasted 'wizard' and his friends.

"Ah," Freddie sighed. "I've met a couple of AKs and they are charming people."

"You mean that time you were telling us about?" Jade said sounding rather bored. It was a story Freddie had told them a million times that none of them believed.

"It didn't happen, Fred. Deal with it!" Ulysses snorted.

Freddie went to open her mouth but closed it again. She remembered her visit to Auradon when Mal had accidentally taken her with her and her friends back to Auradon and had ended up in the daughter of Genie's lamp. "I didn't imagine it." She growled.

Her acquaintances looked at her.

"Here we go." Jade groaned.

"Groan all you want, Jade," Freddie said. "But I met two AKs. King Ben himself and that prissy daughter of Sleeping Beauty. What was her name?"

"How are we supposed to know? We weren't there." Titus hissed at her.

"Whatever," Freddie rolled her eyes. "I still stand by what I said." She crossed her arms.

"Have any of you villains gotten reactions from your parents?" Titus asked.

"Oh yeah," Jade said darkly. "My mom wasn't happy. My uncle on the other hand I think is glad that I'm joining my cousin in Auradon." Her fellow VKs hissed at the very mention of Jay.

"That fiend!" snarled Ulysses.

"That hunk!" Freddie battered her eyelashes and sighed dreamily.

"That asshole!" groaned Titus.

"Guys!" Jade said, pulling the group out of their dazes. "Remember, this is still a rumor that we're the next group of VKs going to Auradon. Nothing has been confirmed yet."

"Well, it better be confirmed as true soon because I don't want to hear our parents complaining about it anymore." groaned Ulysses.

"My dad would probably be thrilled to have me out of his sight." Freddie said.

"My mom wouldn't care." Titus said.

"Neither would my mom," said Ulysses. "She already thinks I'm a burden. So does Aunt Morgana."

The foursome was quiet for a moment.

"We better get to a TV," said Jade with a sigh. "The Auradonian news will confirm whether or not we were the ones selected."

* * *

In Auradon, Ben, Mal and Gia watched evening news in the east wing living room in the castle. Gia and Mal were sitting on the couch while Ben stood off to the side with his arms crossed. He had decreed earlier that day that four more VKs were to arrive in Auradon. He even confirmed that the next VKs were the daughters of Doctor Facilier and Nasira and the sons of Ursula the Sea Witch and Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West respectively.

" _It has been confirmed by Castle Beast that the next villainous descendants will be the offspring of Ursula the Sea Witch, Nasira, Doctor Facilier and Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West. They are to arrive in Auradon the day before the new school year starts. Beware Auradon, life is about to get a whole lot more hectic…"_

"It's done." Gia said as she switched the television off with the remote.

"Here we go again." Mal practically sang.

Ben didn't move from his spot.

"What's our next move, Majesty?" Gia said, her tone directed at Ben.

Ben snapped out of his trance. "We brace ourselves."

"When are your parents supposed to be back?" Mal asked.

"The day the VKs show up." Gia answered before Ben could open his mouth.

"Who's gonna show these new four around?"

"Doug, Lonnie and Jane volunteered to help. Lonnie's due to fly in from China soon with her parents and Doug's returning to campus on Sunday to help get everything ready for the VKs arrival." Ben said.

"I gotta go." Mal said jumping off the couch. "Evie will kill me if I'm not back at the dorm soon." She went over to kiss Ben on the cheek before leaving the room.

After Mal had left, Ben turned to Gia.

"What?" Gia said, catching his gaze.

"I have something I need to ask you." He said as walked over and sat down opposite her.

"Okay."

"How would you feel if I asked you to be a teacher at Auradon Prep?"

"Flattered. I really would. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was in a meeting with Fairy Godmother yesterday and I mentioned that you were willing to teach Mal how to control her magic and that got Fairy Godmother and I thinking. What if we had a class set up especially for those that have magic."

"As in Mal."

"Not just Mal but Jane and Jay and any other kid that might have magical genes."

"Ah, hold up," Gia said holding up a hand to stop him. "Jay didn't inherit his father's magic."

"I disagree. Look at Mal and Jane for example. They didn't know about their magic until just months ago."

"Mal _did_ know about her magic," Gia corrected. "She always knew she had it but she couldn't access it until she came here. She told me, as I'm sure she's told you, that she use have stare-offs with her mother and that she could feel her eyes go green."

Ben pondered over this for a moment. "Okay but that doesn't mean Jay hasn't got magic. There are ways to bring it out, isn't there?"

Gia hesitated before replying. "Yes, there are but it all depends on the individual."

"I think the class should be compulsory for anyone who has magic."

"First off, that would be a bad idea, considering there aren't a lot of students at Auradon Prep that have magic and second, if it were compulsory every student with magic would complain."

"Okay then," Ben nodded. "Wel, Fairy Godmother gave me a list of students with magical genes that might help us out." He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Gia.

The Lady of Auradon scanned the list of names.

"Evie?" Gia questioned with a frown. "She's not magical."

"Her mother did magic." Ben argued.

"With _Alchemy_. There's a difference. Evil Queen doesn't have magic."

"Evie mentioned something about her mother having a grimoire."

"A grimoire of _potions._ How else do you think Evil Queen disguised herself as an old beggar and poisoned the apple she gave Snow White?"

Ben leaned back, clearly mystified. So much for being at the top of his Auradon History class. "So potion making _isn't_ a form of magic?"

"It is in a way but it's nothing compared to what Mal and Jane can do. Keep Evie in the class and we'll see how we go." Gia went back to scanning the list. "Jordan, yep." She muttered to herself. She looked up at Ben once she had reached the end.

"Looks promising."

Ben nodded, relieved. "There is one more thing I need to ask of you."

"Name it."

"Fairy Godmother is looking for a deputy headmistress."

"Why?"

"She's got a lot on her plate this year and she needs someone to sit in for her while she's busy."

"And that's why you're asking me?"

"Pretty much."

"Ben, I'd love to but I have so much going on this year in addition to teaching the new magic class."

Ben blinked. "You'll teach the class?"

"Of course but being deputy headmistress is not something I would agree to be."

Ben wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer. "You're the best choice for the role, G. You know the students. You know what they want and what they need. How they function." He bowed his head.

Gia flexed her jaw. She knew Ben was using his skills in diplomacy to get her to agree. "Fine! Yes, I'll take on the deputy headmistress role."

Ben raised his head and grinned. "You're the greatest."

"Yeah, yeah."

Ben rose from his seat. "I have to go tell Fairy Godmother the good news. I'll catch up with you later."

"Bye." Gia said half-heartedly as Ben turned and left the room. She sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

The next batch of VKs gathered at the Bargain castle with their parents. It was the night before they were due to be taken to Auradon Prep. They hid their excitement to be finally leaving the presence of their parents.

The villains kept their distance from each other as their children sat together, going over their school timetables.

"Why do we _have_ to do Remedial Goodness 101?" Titus groaned.

"It's accustom for VKs," Freddie answered. When the others looked at her, she elaborated. "I've done it. It's a class that helps in the 'treatment' of rehabilitating VKs. If it helped Mal and co, then it will work for us, oh well, you guys. There's two hour exam about smiling."

Across the room, the adults looked mortified. What was it with heroes and goodness and smiling?

"Anything is better then what we were learning at Dragon Hall." Titus muttered.

At his place near the door, Doctor Facilier frowned but continued his bout of silence.

"Do we get to choose our classes?" Jade asked.

"Not till later in the year." Ulysses said looking up from his copy of the Auradon Prep handbook.

"You becomin' a nerd, now Ul?" Freddie sniggered.

Ulysses gave her a feral look before returning to the handbook.

From her place at the table, Ursula hid a smile.

Freddie smirked in satisfaction.

Facilier rolled his eyes, holding back a groan.

"You best be getting some rest." Evil Queen said uncomfortably. "The car arrives first thing in the morning."

Since Maleficent's defeat, Evil Queen had taken on the leadership role that had been originally, or so she thought, hers.

The kids got up and headed after their parents.

As she headed towards the door, Jade turned to see her uncle watching her. He gave her a small nod before she headed out the door after her mother.

Once their fellow villains were out of earshot, Evil Queen turned to Jafar and Cruella.

"Was it is wise to have them here?"

"Jade is my niece so she is a connection to Jay. I thought it would be nice to have her over here."

"What has gotten into you?" Cruella huffed.

Jafar gave her a pointed, half-dazed look.

"You're a villain for god's sake!" Cruella cried. "You've gone soft."

"I… no! I have not."

Evil Queen looked over to see Cruella's raised eyebrows and Jafar's look of firmness. She had even seen his weakness for his son and niece.

Cruella and Evil Queen rolled their eyes. Trust Jafar to never admit to anything.

Jafar sighed, wondering what Maleficent would do or what Jay would do in a situation like this.

* * *

Ben had received Gia's text, two hours later then he would have liked. He had been having too much fun with Mal that he hadn't heard his phone go off.

"Gia texted you yet?" Mal asked when she caught the look of shock on Ben's face.

They were sitting on the bleachers near the Tourney field, watching the sun go down.

"Yeah. Fifteen times." Ben murmured. He turned his phone towards Mal so she could read the five messages that were visible on the lock screen.

"She's not happy with you according to most of these." Mal smirked.

"Damn," Ben said, running a hand down his face. "I hate being king." He muttered.

Mal pursed her lips and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "You don't mean that."

Ben looked at her. "I mean everything I say."

Mal sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "You don't mean that." She repeated. "I wouldn't say that to your parents and Gia."

"I'm serious." Ben said. "I wish I hadn't been born a prince poised to be king."

In the short time she'd known Ben, Mal had never seen him doubt his own reign. He'd always been so optimistic about everything. She leaned over and pressed her forehead to his.

Ben found himself relaxing when Mal pressed her forehead to his. Audrey had never made him feel calm and centred like this. "Where would I be without you?" he breathed.

Mal smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

While the kiss didn't last long, to Ben and Mal it felt like an eternity.

For a moment all they could do was sit there, their foreheads still touching. They could both sense that their love was strong enough to survive anything that was thrown their way.

Ben felt that since he and Mal had started dating, he would have given her anything and that included giving up his throne for her. He knew, however, she would never allow that. He knew what she would say. She would tell him that it didn't matter how much he loved her and that his throne and his kingdom should have been his first priority.

Being as stubborn as both his parents, Ben would have disagreed. He would have argued that she was in his life _before_ he became king and that she was his first priority. He could have argued with her until he was blue in the face but he had come to know Mal well. She wasn't one to be argued with. Other then his family, Ben was glad to have Mal as his biggest supporter. Since his coronation she had been there for him every step of the way.

Mal would have waited for Ben. She knew that much. He had shown her so much of his world and yet, she didn't know why he had chosen her over Audrey.

Audrey was beautiful, there was no denying it and yet she was spoiled and bratty which was something Ben was not. The daughter of Sleeping Beauty only wanted one thing: the title of Queen of Auradon. She might have claimed to have loved Ben but she had been using him to get what should have been hers.

In Mal's eyes, she was nothing but the daughter of the Mistress of all Evil. She thought back to the dream she had had before she and her friends had left to find her mother's dragon's eye scepter. She had met a handsome prince at the Enchanted Lake. Ben. It had been Ben in her dream! Had he had a similar dream of her?

"I dreamt of you." She murmured.

Ben pulled away enough so that he was looking at her directly in the face.

Mal saw surprise cross his face.

"I dreamt of you too."

"You did?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah. I dreamt I was on the Isle of the Lost and I had fallen into a ditch and was pulled out by a purple haired girl who I know now to be you. What about you?"

"My dream was different. I dreamt I was at the Enchanted Lake with you."

"That's eerie." Ben chuckled.

Mal shook her head. "No," she whispered as she leaned in again. "It means we were meant to be."

"You think so?"

Mal nodded as she leaned in to kiss him again.

From the shadows and unbeknownst to Ben and Mal, Evie watched, a huge smile on her face. She was happy for them. Yet, she was oblivious to how hard this coming school year was going to be for her two love-struck friends. Slipping back into the shadows, she headed back up to the dorm.

* * *

The early morning sun shone through the trees of the forest as Ben jogged at a sluggish pace. He had been up since 6:30am trying to prepare himself for what was to occur today.

It was the day before school was to officially begin for the year and Ben would have been happy if the summer hadn't been so short. He had spent half his time with Mal but he felt he hadn't spent _enough_ time with her. He felt like he had let her down.

Something flew past his vision forcing him out of his guilt-ridden trance. He picked up his pace before stopping a few hundred metres down the track. He heard a sharp whistle somewhere above him.

" _Up here."_

Ben looked up to see Gia perched in the benches of a tree. She was wearing a sports top that revealed her midriff, three-quarter jogging tights and running shoes. Her black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her phone sat in an armband with earphones sitting in her ears.

"You never cease to surprise me." Ben smirked up at her.

"You're predictable, Your Majesty." Gia said knowingly as she jumped down from her perch and landed in front of him. "You're distracted. I can tell. Come on then. Spill."

Ben flexed his jaw. Gia could read him like a book. "I don't know whether we're doing the right thing with inviting the next bunch of VKs here." He admitted.

"I know it was Mal's idea but _you_ were the one that made the proclamation."

"It wasn't just Mal's idea," Ben said. "Jay, Evie and Carlos had some say too."

Gia pursed her lips before she answered. "I know and I'm _not_ trying to take a jab at your proclamation."

"I know you're not."

"Then why are you so worried?"

Ben opened and closed his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Well?" Gia prompted as she pulled her earbuds from her ears.

Ben sighed, knowing he was defeated. "You really know how to get under a guy's skin, don't you?"

Gia looked amused as she nodded. "Come on you," she said patting him on the arm. "Let's get you focused."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

Gia smirked and swung her arm at him. Ben ducked and blocked her attack. "Now _this_ is what I meant."

Ben smiled before taking his own swing at her.

Gia instinctively ducked before taking a few fleeting steps back as Ben lunged at her. She was able to push Ben back up the path back towards the Tourney Field.

By the time, they got back to Auradon Prep; Ben had collapsed onto the grass of the Tourney field.

"Tired are we, Benny?" Gia smirked.

"Don't call me that."

Gia chuckled. "I'm your sister. I can call you whatever the hell I want." She shrieked in surprise as Ben grabbed her arm and pulled her down on the grass next to him. She landed on her stomach with a groan. "Never do that again." She said as she hit in him the chest prompting him to laugh.

"I spoke to Evie last night by the way." Gia said.

"Oh, did you now?"

"Yep. She said she saw you and Mal on the bleachers last night."

"Oh." Ben wasn't embarrassed.

"Be thankful that it wasn't Jay or Carlos. You know how protective of Mal they are."

Ben bit his lip. "Tell me something." He turned his head to look at her.

"What?" Gia sat up, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"How are you and Jay going?"

Gia rolled her eyes. "Always looking out for me."

"Isn't that what little brothers are for?"

"You could say that and to answer your question, Jay and I are fine."

"You know you're going to have to hide your relationship from everyone else."

Gia sighed. "I know. Teacher/student relationships are a massive no-no."

"I'm surprised mom and dad haven't told you to break it off with him."

"Well, Jay and I were dating _before_ you asked me to become a teacher AND a deputy headmistress."

"Oh yeah."

Gia grinned. "Okay, I dished. Your turn."

"You already know what's going on with me."

"Not everything."

Ben sighed. "Okay. Fine. I fear what could happen this year."

"Nothing bad is going to happen." Gia assured him.

"You sound so sure."

"Ben," Gia said with a sigh. "I know you better then most people do and I know that you will do whatever it takes to keep your relationship with Mal intact. You might be king now but nothing has to change. You can still have the girl of your dreams and be king. Don't worry about what anyone else says. They don't know what it's like to be judged."

"You think I'm being judged?"

"Yes. I know you're having issues with the councils accepting your relationship with Mal. Don't bother trying to deny it because I know you."

Ben didn't know what to say. It didn't matter whether there was a telepathic link between them. Gia was right. She did know him too well. "You're right, G. I just don't understand why they won't accept her."

"People aren't going to change overnight, Ben. Look at your dad for example. No one believed he was capable of good until he married your mom. Look him now. He's very well respected now, isn't he?"

"Some people still think lowly of him." Ben muttered.

"So?" Gia said. "No king is perfect. You aren't perfect, Ben."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying, _give_ the councils a reason to trust Mal. _Get_ them to see that she is their future queen."

"You still believe that Mal could be queen?"

"Yep. Nothing will _ever_ change my opinion."

Ben smirked at the look of determination on Gia's face. "You aren't going to change your mind, are you?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Ben found himself laughing.

"All right you," Gia patted Ben on the arm. "Let's go get ready for the VK arrival."

* * *

The limo pulled up outside Bargain Castle where the villainous parents and their children were waiting.

"Ah, this _charming_ old place." Mused the limo driver.

Jade and Freddie led the boys to the car without as so much as a series of goodbyes to their parents.

As she headed for the car, Jade looked over to see her mother and uncle watching her. She could have sworn for a second that her uncle was sending her a silent message. As to what the message was Jade could only guess. She was just glad that unlike Jay and his friends, she and her friends hadn't been given a suicide mission. She climbed into the car and seated herself next to Titus.

Soon, the kids were off towards their next big adventure.

* * *

 _Breathe, Mal, breathe,_ Mal kept telling herself as she and Evie headed down towards the front of the school where they were to join the boys, Jane and Lonnie.

Lonnie had just returned to Auradon from China and Doug had returned to campus a few hours after Lonnie had. They were now standing out the front of the school, waiting for the new VKs to arrive.

"Sorry we're late," Mal apologised as she took up her position next to Ben. "Miss Evie had a makeup emergency." She turned her head to give her blue-haired best friend the stink eye.

"Wasn't my fault." Evie muttered from beside Doug.

"You're actually just in time," Gia said from Ben's left side. "I was just going to call you."

Ben snorted.

"What's funny?" Mal frowned at her boyfriend.

"Nothing." Ben said, trying to keep himself in check.

"Focus Ben." Gia said hitting him around the back of the head.

"Sorry." Ben said with a chuckle.

A long moment past and the limo pulled around the corner and came to a slow stop.

The car's driver climbed out of the car and went to open the car doors.

The four new VKs filed out of the car. Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl.

Jay couldn't keep a smile from taking over his face as the last girl exited the car.

Gia frowned when she caught the huge smile on Jay's face. Her eyes followed his to the second girl. There was something familiar about her yet, Gia had never met the girl in her life. Who was she?

"Ah, it is _so_ good to be back in Auradon." The first girl said, her eyes settling on Mal.

"Hi Freddie." Mal said with a small wave.

"I cannot believe I even decided to go back to that wretched island." The girl named Freddie said, ignoring Mal's greeting.

Mal lowered her hand just as Ben slid his own hand into her free one.

The other three VKs, the two boys and girl looked around in awe.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep." Said Fairy Godmother as she stepped forward.

"Thank you for having us, headmistress." The second girl said politely.

"Oh, don't thank me," Fairy Godmother said with an easy smile. "Thank the king." She gestured to Ben who stepped forward, pulling Mal with him.

"Welcome all. I'm…"

"Ben." Freddie cut in.

"Hi Freddie. Good to see you again." Ben said, his tone giving some indication to his discomfort.

Freddie nodded silently. Her companions looked at her wide-eyed.

The second girl quickly recovered. "Thank you Your Majesty for inviting us here."

"No thanks is necessary," Ben said. "We just hope you enjoy your time here." Mal elbowed him. "Oh, right. I'm sure you've all know my girlfriend, Mal, daughter of Maleficent."

Mal issued a weak smile.

Ben continued. "I'm sure you know Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, Jay, son of Jafar and Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil."

Mal's friends all waved awkwardly.

Gia cleared her throat, catching Ben's attention.

"I nearly forgot. Allow me introduce Gianna, Lady of Aurdon." Ben pursed his lips as he gestured to Gia.

"Thank Your Majesty," Gia said as stepped forward she then turned to give Ben a look of pure irritation. "And it's Gia, _Benjamin."_ She smirked before turning to attention the new VKs.

Behind her, Ben rolled his eyes in a very un-king-like fashion.

The new VKs struggled to keep straight faces.

"Please ignore our gracious king's lack of…" she paused to think of a good word to describe Ben's formal behavior. "Informality." she turned her head and issued Ben will a teasing smile. "Always a gentleman. Anyway, welcome to Auradon Prep. Like Ben has just mentioned, I am the Lady of Auradon but please do call me Gia. I utterly despise the name _'Gianna'_ , being Gaston's daughter and all."

There was a gasp from the new VKs.

"You're Gaston's daughter?" asked Freddie. "I never knew he had a daughter."

"A lot of people don't." Gia answered modestly.

"Then how are you here and not on the island with him?" asked the white-grey haired boy.

"My mother was a friend of Ben's mother Belle and asked her and Beast to raise me before she died. The rest is pretty much history. Literally. My story will be written in one of your Auradon History books." Gia issued the four newcomers with a wink before stepping in front of the new VKs. "As of tomorrow, you start your journeys as Auradonians, as students here at Auradon Prep." She turned to Doug, Lonnie and Jane, beckoning them forward.

Mal smiled as she clutched Ben's hand tighter then before.

"Allow me introduce to you to your tour guides," Gia gestured to the three AKs who stepped forward at the same time. "We have Doug, the son of Dopey." Doug gave a small nod. "Lonnie, daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang." Lonnie smiled politely and wiggled her fingers in a wave. "And Jane, daughter of Fairy Godmother." Jane gave a nervous squeak.

Fairy Godmother, who had been standing beside Gia, tried not to laugh at her daughter's nervousness.

Carlos wanted to comfort his girlfriend but judging by the look Jay was giving him, he knew better then to go all lovey-dovey when their friends and his girlfriend's mother were around.

"Don't mind Jane," Mal said. "She's a great friend once you get to know her."

The new VKs took that in consideration and nodded.

"Okay," Ben said brightly. "We shall leave you to it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to find any one of us and we'll be able to help in any way we can."

"Thank you, Ben." Jay's female look-alike said.

Ben and Mal turned with Gia taking Ben's arm and headed back in the direction of the school. Evie, Jay, Fairy Godmother and Carlos turned and started to walk in the opposite direction.

"That went well," Mal muttered to Ben and Gia. "I was expecting it to be more…"

"Awkward?" Gia inquired.

"Yeah." Mal said.

"Fingers crossed this doesn't backfire." Ben muttered, causing Gia and Mal to exchange looks.

* * *

"Okay so, this is the dorms building," said Doug. "The boys' dormitory is on the left and girls' is on the right."

The new VKs looked around in awe. This place was _so_ much better then Dragon Hall.

"We do have to warn you though," Lonnie said. "You girls might not like the colour scheme of the dorms."

"Why?" Jade asked.

"You'll see." Jane said, sounding braver then she actually felt.

The group broke up with Doug leading the boys to their dorms while Jane and Lonnie led the girls to theirs.

Lonnie inserted a key into the lock of the door they stopped in front of and unlocked it.

Freddie and Jade gasped when they saw the colour on the walls. Pink. Prissy Princess Pink.

"Ew." Freddie said as she turned up her nose.

"We warned you." Lonnie said. "Feel free to change the colour to anything you want. That's what we did."

"You can do that?" Jade asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Jane said with a smile. She was feeling a little more comfortable around these new VKs now. "I changed mine to a light purple."

"And I changed mine to some sort of red. I can't remember which shade now."

"Score." Jade found herself muttering as she exchanged excited looks with Freddie.

* * *

Doug was surprised that Titus and Ulysses didn't get into a shoving match as soon as they entered their room. He remembered when Jay and Carlos had been shown their room for the first time; they had fought over who was going to be the first to enter.

These two seemed… civilized and much better mannered.

"Well, I'll let you both settle in." Doug backed up towards the door.

"Doug." Titus said, prompting Doug to stop. "Thanks."

Doug grinned and nodded and turned towards the door.

* * *

" _They were thankful."_ Doug told Ben later.

The two friends were in the school library.

Ben had allowed Mal to spend the rest of the day with Evie.

"That's a good sign." Ben said thoughtfully.

"Do you think they have a secret agenda?" Doug asked.

"What do you mean?" Ben frowned.

"Remember when Mal and her friends were tasked with stealing Fairy Godmother's wand?"

Ben shuddered. How could he not forget that? "Yeah."

"Do you think Ursula, Nasira, Facilier and the Wicked Witch of the West tasked them with a mission to break them free from the island?"

"We'll have to ask them but let's just enjoy the last day of summer break, yeah?"

Doug pursed his lips.

* * *

" _It's so good to see you."_ Jay said as he hugged Jade.

"It's good to see you too." Jade said as she pulled out of her cousin's hug. "How have things been here?"

Jay smiled in spite of himself. "Great."

Jade smirked. "Is there something you wish to share with me?"

Jay bit his lip before caving. "You aren't going to believe me if I told you."

"How bad can it be?"

"Okay. I have a girlfriend."

Jade raised her eyebrows. "Who?"

"You remember that girl that Ben introduced as the Lady of Auradon?"

Jade nodded.

"Well, _Gia_ is my girlfriend."

"She's a little old for you, isn't she?"

"So? Maybe I like older women."

Jade smiled. "You have always been a flirt Jay. How did you manage snag her? Isn't she Ben's advisor or whatever?"

"Ben kept prodding her and prodding her until she finally gave in."

Jade nodded intrigued that the king's prodding had actually snagged her lovable cousin his dream girl. "I'm surprised that…" she was cut off.

" _Jay!"_

Jade and Jay turned to see a purple haired girl walking towards them.

"Mal." Jay said as the girl stopped in front of him.

"Ben's been looking for you." Mal turned to see that Jay was occupied. "Oh, sorry. I hope I wasn't intruding."

"No, no, you weren't," Jay reassured her. "Oh, Mal allow me to introduce you to my cousin, Jade."

"Hi," Jade said. "So you're the king's girlfriend, huh?"

Mal grinned. "Yeah, I guess I am. So, you're the cousin that Jay speaks so highly of."

Jade raised her eyebrows as she turned to look at her cousin. "You _talk_ about me? Aww. How sweet."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Can we not get all emotional? It's mellowing my mojo."

Jade and Mal snorted before bursting into laughter.

"You have _never_ said that," Jade said through her laughs. "Being in love has made you soft."

Mal continued to laugh and patted Jay on the shoulder.

"I'd better meet up with Ben, hey? I'll see you ladies later." Jay issued his friend and cousin a charming smile before turning and heading towards Fairy Godmother's office.

* * *

" _Are you sure you want to allow this?"_ Fairy Godmother asked Ben.

They were sitting in the Headmistress' office.

"I think it would do the students with magical genes a lot of good. Look at what happened with Jane at my coronation. She couldn't control your wand and look at the mess she caused to Audrey's hair."

Fairy Godmother bowed her head. She remembered when Jane had gone running to her after she had had to lay own after the incident with Audrey's hair had backfired.

"I think you're right, Ben. I'm glad you're thinking of the magical students but are you sure you're not just thinking about Mal?"

Ben blinked. "No. I've had the idea for a while and yes, Mal was the inspiration for it but I hope you don't mind but I spoke to Gia about it."

"Oh?" Fairy Godmother raised an eyebrow.

"She said she would be more then happy to take up the post of both deputy headmistress and magic teacher."

Fairy Godmother sighed. She should have known Ben wasn't going to give up until this class he had proposed had been approved. "Alright, Ben dear. Your wish shall be granted."

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Sorry, Fairy Godmother," said Jay as he peeked into the office. "Ben wanted to see me."

"Jay, come in." Ben said.

Jay did as he was told and sat in the only vacant chair available. "What did you want to see me for?" Jay asked Ben curiously.

"I've proclaimed a new class for the magic users of the school," Ben told him. "You were one of the students I thought would have magical genes."

"I do have magical genes," Jay agreed. "But I didn't inherit any of my dad's magic."

Fairy Godmother and Ben looked at each other.

"I disagree." Fairy Godmother said.

Ben nodded in agreement. "You have magic, Jay. We just have to expose it."

"How? I'm not like Mal who has always known she's had magic."

Ben thought for a moment. "You dad had a cobra headed staff, didn't he?"

Jay blinked. He had forgotten about his father's staff. He remembered how his father use to rant about Aladdin smashing his staff to bits after the street-rat had discovered he had been controlling Jasmine's father, the Sultan with it. "Yeah, he did. Past tense, Ben. Past tense."

"I know but you're his heir. You'd be able to use it."

"Haven't you heard the story? Aladdin discovered that my dad was using the Sultan as a puppet and he smashed my dad's staff to pieces."

Ben thought for a moment. "Wasn't it restored to its former glory?" he asked Fairy Godmother.

"It was but I don't know where your father had it placed."

"Was it sent back to the island like Maleficent's staff was?" Jay asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know dear," Fairy Godmother shook her head. "I wish I could tell you."

"Don't worry," Ben said. "I'm sure Gia can help you unlock your magic."

Jay looked at him, startled but quickly recovered. "Gia?"

"Yeah. She's going to be the teacher of the class." Ben caught the look on Jafar's son's face at the mention of the Lady of Auradon.

"And the deputy headmistress this year." Fairy Godmother added.

Jay reframed from asking even more questions. He knew as well as Ben did that if it got out that he was dating the Lady of Auradon, Fairy Godmother would have to say to no to Ben's magic class idea. He knew a class like this would benefit anyone with magical genes including bringing out his own magic… if he had magic that was.

"That was the reason behind the latest bunch of VKs, being brought to Auradon, wasn't it?" Fairy Godmother said, drawing Ben's attention back to her.

"In a way, yes." Ben admitted sheepishly. "It didn't feel right to just have Jay, Mal, Evie and Carlos here.." There was a pause. "I cannot, however, take the credit for the new VKs being here." Ben said honestly. "It was Mal's idea and she had Jay, Evie and Carlos' approval before she bought the idea to me."

"Okay, I think we all know what is to be done." Fairy Godmother said.

Ben and Jay nodded knowing that magic was going to play a big part in what was going to be a big year for not only them but in the new lives of the new VKs.

* * *

 _There you have it. So, Magic Class is a go and will Jay end up discovering he has magic like his father? I think it was a little bit odd in the film where there is no reference to Jay having magic though I can come up with an explanation. The magic could have a generation like the dragon genes skipped Susan Long in American Dragon: Jake Long. Susan was Jake and Haley's mother. While her father and children had dragon genes, it skipped her. Perhaps that's what happened to Jay. Coming up next chapter, Evie and Ben come up with a plan to get Mal to attend magic class without an issues, Jay pulls a prank on Jade, Mal starts to doubt her relationship with Ben and its only the first day back at Auradon Prep!_

 _To Be Continued..._


	6. Idea

**A/N:** _Here's chapter 6. There's a lot going on in this chapter. So, its now officially the beginning of Junior year and things are already tense. This chapter features the new VKs but they have fleeting appearances. Jade has a bit of a role in this chapter. Evie and Ben conjure up a plan to get Mal to Magic Class without her complaining. Mal starts to doubt her relationship with Ben (to a lesser degree) while Jay and Carlos discover a secret they didn't know about Gia._

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Idea**

* * *

Jade wasn't sure what to make of Mal. She had heard great things about Maleficent's daughter while she had been at Dragon Hall. How could she have not known the most popular girl at Dragon Hall before now?

Judging by what Jay had told her about Mal, Mal was definitely destined to be Ben's queen. There was no denying it. Even a blind man could see just how influential Mal was on Ben and those around her. Now, she was sitting where Jay had left her with Mal sitting opposite her. The pair stared at each other; not knowing whom should speak first.

"This is ridiculous." Mal finally relented, throwing up her hands.

Jade smirked. Who knew Maleficent's daughter could give in so quickly? "Silence is a virtue."

Mal narrowed her eyes.

"Jokes." Jade raised her hands in mock surrender.

Mal felt herself relax for a moment. "You _really are_ like Jay."

Jade grinned. "It's a gift."

" _Mal!"_

Mal and Jade turned to see Gia heading towards them.

"Hey G," Mal greeted. "What's up?"

"I just came to tell you that Adam and Belle are about an hour away."

"Have you told Ben?"

"Yeah. I ran into him and Jay on the way over here."

Jade cleared her throat.

"Sorry, I think we need to do a couple of intros," Mal said rubbing her hands together. "Gia, meet Jade, Jay's cousin. Jade, meet Gia, Ben's majordomo, best friend and sister."

"And Gaston's daughter." Jade concluded. "Yeah, I know who she is. She _was_ there when I got here."

"You guessed right." Gia nodded approvingly, ignoring the second part of Jade's comment. "In other words, I'm Belle and Beast's ward."

"And you're dating my cousin." Jade smiled.

"Indeed I am."

Jade nodded. "You know, I like you, your Ladyship. You have a lot of spunk and sass." She licked her lips causing Mal to cringe as it reminded her of her mother. "Delicious. You have my approval."

"Oh, ah, thanks. I guess." Gia frowned; unsure whether she should take her boyfriend's cousin's words as an insult or as a compliment.

"Great. Well, how about a tour of campus before tomorrow?" Mal offered Jade.

"I'd love one."

"What about Belle and Adam's arrival?" Gia asked with a frown.

"I'll be there, don't worry." Mal assured her. "Gimme half an hour and I'll be there."

Gia blinked but quickly recovered. "Okay, I'll let Ben know."

"See you soon." Mal said as she watched Gia wave and turn back towards the school.

* * *

" _I'm sorry, you want to do what?"_ Evie asked Ben.

The king had had Jay call upon Evie after their conversation with Fairy Godmother. They were in the reception area of the administration office of Auradon Prep, which was all but empty except for them and Jay.

"You heard what I said, Evie." Ben said.

"Of course I did, but are you totally crazy? Mal will never agree to join the class."

Ben thought for a moment. He realized that he hadn't thought this far in front. He knew the magic class was bound to be a hit but he hadn't thought of how he was going to coax Mal into doing the class.

"We need to blackmail her into doing it." Jay said.

"Have you lost it?" Evie said, reverting her attention to Jay. "Mal is the _Mistress of Blackmail._ She'll see through it in an instant. Have you both forgotten who her mother is? _Mistress of Evil,_ hello!"

Ben and Jay looked at each other. Evie was right. Mal was the Mistress of Blackmail, having learnt everything she knew about the subject from her mother. She would be able to see through their ploy.

"I have an idea." Ben said suddenly.

"What?" Evie asked, suddenly sounding incredibly uneasy.

"The class schedules are released tomorrow morning at 9am."

"Yeah, so?" Jay shrugged.

Ben bit his lip, thoughtfully. "This year the classes are coded with the initials of every class. If it were to say, Remedial Goodness, it would be coded as RG101. If it's English it would be ENG and so on."

"What would the magic class be coded as?" Evie asked.

"MC101." Jay said, knowing where Ben was headed with the conversation.

"Right." Ben nodded.

"Why weren't the class schedules coded last year?" Evie questioned.

"No one thought of doing it like that," Ben said, screwing up his nose. "I would have thought it would have made it easier so the admin staff wouldn't have to cram every bit of text into the tiny box. But apparently, no one realized it until this year." He shook his head, amazed at the admin staff's apparent stupidity.

"So Mal won't be able to understand what the code means." Evie said in realization.

Ben nodded. "Exactly."

"I hope this works." Jay said.

"So do I."

" _Ben."_

The trio turned just in time to see Gia enter the room.

"Did you find Mal?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, she's with Jade. I was told to tell you that she'll be with us in half an hour."

"Half an hour?" Jay questioned with a snort. "What could she be doing?"

"She's giving Jade a tour of campus." Gia said flashing him with a scowl.

"Oh, well, that would explain her absence." Evie said.

"No duh, Ev." Jay murmured.

Evie threw him a dirty look. She then turned her attention back to Ben.

"I hope this idea of yours works."

"So do I Evie. So do I." Ben sighed, unsure now whether his idea was going to work.

A few moments past before the silence was broken.

"Well, ain't gettin' any deader here," Jay said cheerfully. "Don't we have to meet your parents at the castle?" he asked Ben.

Ben checked his watch and groaned. "Oh, yeah. Plus, I think Mal should have finished showing Jade around by now too."

"Let's go." Evie said as she turned and headed out of the room with the boys and Gia at her heels.

* * *

Mal knew she was kidding herself. There was absolutely no way was she going to be on time to join Ben, Gia and their friends in welcoming Adam and Belle home.

" _Come on, Mal! Loosen up!"_ Jade called from somewhere down the hall.

Mal didn't want to say that she'd lost Jade but she didn't want to alarm anyone. Sure, Jade was old enough to care for herself but she didn't know Auradon Prep.

"Jade, come on. I have to meet Ben and the others at the castle."

Jade poked her head out from a nearby alcove. "Oh, come on. Do you really have to do some royal engagement?"

"First off, don't call it that. You don't want to set off any unnecessary rumors. Secondly, it's not what you think." Mal found herself getting defensive. In the past few months, Belle and Adam had been nothing but kind to her. They had come to be the closest thing to parents she and her friends had ever had.

"Oh _come on_. You haven't even shown me _half_ the school yet."

Mal gritted her teeth. "That's because you've been hiding for the last twenty minutes." She said, trying not to show how frustrated she was.

"What ever happened to the girl at Dragon Hall who use to torture kids who didn't do as she told them to?"

"That girl is _long_ gone. Look, go and find Doug, Jane or Lonnie. I'm sure they'll continue the tour. I promised Ben I'd be there when his parents came home."

Jade sighed. "Fine. Where are they?"

"I don't know. Look around. Explore." Mal's phone beeped revealing a message from Carlos.

 _Where r u?_

"I really gotta go."

Jade waved her away; unhurt by Mal's sudden need to do the right thing.

* * *

Once she was away from Jade, Mal thought about how she was going to get to the castle. It was too far to run or walk. The only chance she was going to have to get there in time was to cast a transportation spell.

She had only travelled with Gia a short distance before and had never actually cast a spell like this by herself before.

Sucking in a breath, she recited the spell she needed in her head before she felt herself absorbing into particles that would take her to exactly where she needed to go.

* * *

Mal felt herself reform in an instant.

"About time you got here." Evie said as she helped Mal steady herself.

"What took you so long?" Ben asked.

"Jade. She spent ninety percent of the time hiding in the alcoves." Mal said rolling her eyes.

"Yep. That's Jade for you." Jay said half-heartedly. "Unlike me, she likes to slow everybody down."

"How _did_ you get here?" Gia asked, peering around Ben from his left.

Mal smiled. "A transportation spell."

This took Gia by surprise. "You used one of the spells I taught you?"

"Ah, so you _have_ been listening." Ben teased.

Mal elbowed him. "Of course I've been listening. I just don't show that I am."

"Ah huh." Ben said as he turned his head back to where the car was due to pull up.

After a few moments of silence, a dark SUV rolled up and stopped in front of Ben and the others. The door opened and Belle climbed out, followed by Adam.

"Welcome home mom and dad." Ben grinned as Gia stepped closer to his side.

Belle looked genuinely surprised at the group that was assembled.

"This is a surprise." Adam said as Gia stepped down to hug him.

"It was all Ben's idea that we join him." Gia said her arms going wide.

"You would have been here with me anyway." Ben said.

Gia turned her head and shot him a flat look before turning back to her adoptive father. "Forget he said that."

Adam smiled. "I'll be sure to do that."

Behind them, Ben frowned but said nothing.

Belle looked around at each of her unofficially adopted children. "Oh look at you all. It's good to see you ready for tomorrow."

"Oh yeah," Mal murmured. "Junior year. Yippee." She didn't sound too enthusiastic.

Belle gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, Mal, dear," she said kindly. "You'll do fine."

Mal was truly thankful to Belle for her kind words. As much as she did like school, she didn't want to think about what to come after next year.

"Mal." Evie said waving her hand in front of Mal's face.

The boys and Gia were too busy chatting with Belle and Adam to notice the look of worry that had taken over Mal's face.

"Huh?" Mal blinked and looked over at her best friend.

"You were daydreaming about something bad. I could tell. Don't deny it." Evie said. Her voice was quiet but stern.

"I'll tell you later." Mal muttered.

Evie nodded and said nothing else.

"What have you all been doing since we left?" Belle asked curiously.

"Summer stuff." Jay said casually like it was no big deal.

Belle smiled. "At least you all enjoyed yourselves. The next two years are going to be big for all of you. Tread carefully."

While Ben and Gia knew what she meant, the VKs were at a loss.

* * *

" _Sorry about mom's riddle earlier."_ Ben apologized to Mal later that day.

They were in the art room with Evie who was sketching outfit designs like they were going out of fashion.

"No biggie." Evie said, not looking up from her sketching.

Mal picked up a bottle of red paint and shook it.

"It _is_ a big deal, Ev." Ben insisted.

Mal rolled her eyes as she flipped the lid on the bottle and squirted a small amount on the palette in her hand.

"Mom's known for her wisdom. I guess that's to be expected seeing as she's a bookworm." Ben said with utter pride.

"We love your mom," Mal said as she grabbed a paintbrush from the table. "And I love the fact that you're more like her then your dad. We don't mind her riddles and musings."

Ben smiled.

From where she was sitting, Evie rolled her eyes as she continued to draw. "Get a room." She muttered.

"We could say the same thing to you and Doug, E." Mal said looking over from her painting.

Ben bowed his head, hiding the smirk that had taken over his face.

Evie's head shot up to give Mal an intimidating glare before her eyes returned to her drawing.

"Don't tease her." Ben scolded playfully.

"I can tease her all I want." Mal teased back. "She is my best friend."

"Hey! I'm still here." Evie called waving a hand in the air.

Mal and Ben laughed.

Evie groaned and slammed her head on the table. "What was your mom's riddle supposed to be about anyway?" she asked once the laughter had died down.

She now had a massive headache.

Ben wasn't sure he should tell them but he thought it was the right thing to do. "She was merely implying that the next two years are going to be our toughest. You know with college around the corner after senior year."

Any talk of the future made Mal's skin crawl. As much as she wanted to talk about it, she kept her mouth shut. There was a part of her that didn't want to know. She wanted more then anything to be Ben. She wanted her friends to remain at her side but the future could change with a simple snap of one's fingers.

"As much as I enjoy a good ol' chat about what the future might hold," she said. "I think we'd ought to think about the now too, yeah?"

Ben and Evie nodded. Mal grinned and went back to her painting.

Evie, who had been able to see through Mal's façade, looked uneasy. She was worried that Ben had seen through it too. When he didn't say anything she felt a little better. She kept her head down to ensure Ben didn't see her expression.

* * *

After dinner, Ben headed for the campus dorms to pay Mal a surprise visit. He was disappointed when Evie told him that Mal wasn't in the room and that she had gone with Jay and Carlos to the Tourney field where they were meeting Coach Jenkins.

Thanking her, Ben made his way out the dorms and down towards the Tourney field where the boys were just finishing up their meeting.

The coach waved and greeted Ben before he headed back to the school. Jay and Carlos followed him, leaving Ben and Mal alone.

"Hey." Ben greeted as he climbed up the bleachers.

"Hey." Mal greeted in return.

Ben could hear the glumness in her voice. He sat down beside her. "Evie said I might find you here."

Mal nodded.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Mal dismissed his concern despite knowing he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"I know there's something wrong. I've gotten to know you well over the last few months, Mal. Please don't shut me out now."

Mal sighed heavily. He was right. She couldn't shut him out, even if she really wanted to. "I fear for our future." She told him outright. "I fear what will become of everything my friends and I have achieved since we chose to defy our parents." She looked at him, her eyes threatening to spill tears. "I fear for us." She sniffed before the tears fell down her cheeks.

Ben pulled her close and hugged her tightly with her head coming to rest on his chest. "Nothing is going to help to our future." He whispered.

"How can you be sure?" she whimpered.

"I have faith that no matter what life throws at us, we'll get through it together."

Mal sniffed and raised her head so that she was looking him. "You promise?"

Ben smiled before he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I promise."

* * *

After her conversation with Ben on the bleachers, Mal had gone back to the dorm feeling a little lighter.

"Are you ready to talk to me now?" Evie asked as she stepped out of the bathroom dressed in her favorite pajamas.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Mal said as she perched on the edge of her bed.

"Not for a second," Evie said as she sat next to Mal. "Come on. Tell me."

Mal sighed and told her what she had told Ben. She even told her that she feared Ben would want nothing to with her after graduation.

"Mal," Evie said gently wrapping an arm around her best friend's shoulders. "Ben will _never_ let anything happen to your relationship. He loves you too much for something to happen like that."

Mal sniffed and shook her head before she wiped away the tears that hadn't yet spilled from her eyes. "Thanks E." she said with a watery smile.

Evie grinned and rested her head against Mal's shoulder. "What are best friends for?"

The pair shared a giggle.

"You really think my relationship with Ben is going to last?"

Evie lifted her head and nodded. "I think so. In the short time Ben was with Audrey that we saw, not once did I _ever_ see him look at her the way he looks at you. I've seen the way his face lights up when you walk into the room. From the conversations I have had with Belle, she always mentions just how happy Ben is when he talks about you. You have nothing to fear."

Mal gave a weak smile before returning her head to Evie's shoulder.

"You really think I have nothing to fear?"

"None."

Evie's arm tightened around Mal's shoulders. "If anything, I think Jay and Carlos would agree with me."

"Please don't tell them what I told you."

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me. Can you do something for me?"

"Sure."

"Don't you _ever_ doubt your relationship with Ben again, do you hear me?"

Mal cringed at the stern and commanding tone Evie was using. It was a rare thing to hear seeing as Evie was very rarely commanding about anything.

"I think I can do that. Just don't tell Gia. I'm sure she'd give me a prep talk too."

Evie just laughed.

* * *

Evie wasn't happy to be woken up at 5am. Sure, an hour early wouldn't kill her but she was far from happy by the sound of pounding on the dorm room door. She looked over at Mal who was surprisingly still asleep.

The pounding continued.

"Alright already." The bluenette muttered. She wasn't at all surprised when she opened the door. She found Jay, Carlos and Dude outside smiling like total idiots.

"Morning!" The boys announced.

"Shh!" Evie cautioned. "Mal's still asleep." She forced her way past the boys and closed the door. "Who's idea was it to bang on the door at 5am?" she demanded in a hushed voice.

Jay and Carlos looked at each other. Jay sheepishly raised his hand.

Evie placed her hands on her hips in annoyance. "You really are stupid. You forget that most of us don't get up for 3am Tourney training."

Jay immediately looked apologetic. "Sorry. What's eaten you?"

Evie sighed and allowed her hands to fall to her sides. "Sorry guys. Mal's having a hard time, that's all."

"Is she okay?" Carlos asked.

"For now. She's panicking over the future of just about everything including her relationship with Ben."

"Ben's crazy about her." Jay said, exchanging concerned looks with Carlos.

"That's what I told her." Evie told the pair. "I'm just worried about her. In the short time we've been BFFs I've never seen her like this."

"Maybe we can cheer her up." Carlos suggested.

"How do you propose we do that, bro?" Jay asked.

"I dunno." Carlos shrugged. Then an idea started to form. "Breakfast, maybe?"

"Good idea." Evie said. "But not now. At 7:30 like always."

"Alright. We'll gather the guys." Jay agreed.

"And I'll gather the girls." Evie said as she headed for the dorm door. "See you guys in two and a half hours in the cafeteria for Operation: Cheer Up Mal."

The boys bid Evie farewell and headed back to their room.

Upon entering her own room, Evie was relieved to see that Mal was still asleep. Looking over at her bedside alarm, Evie was surprised at how quickly time had flown. It was now 5:30. Two hours before she and the girls had to meet the boys. She snatched her phone from her bedside table and texted Jane and Lonnie.

She then quickly went to her wardrobe to find what she was going to wear for the day. She even took the liberty to picking something out for Mal from her friend's wardrobe.

After this, the bluenette took a shower and changed and by that time it was 6am.

At 6:30, Mal started to stir from her peaceful slumber.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty." Evie sung happily.

Mal groaned. "Please don't ever call me that. It's bad enough my mother use to give me hourly reminders of how perfect her sleeping curse she put on Audrey's mom was."

"Sorry." Evie chuckled.

"What's got you so happy this morning?" Mal asked as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

"We're meeting the boys for breakfast at 7:30," Evie said getting straight to the point. "So get ready."

Mal checked her phone. It read: 6:45. She groaned again and flopped back down into the comfort of her pillows.

* * *

Castle Beast was always bright and cheery in the morning, especially when it was a certain king's first day back at school.

Ben walked bare foot down the hall from his room to the dining room. Despite his conversation with Mal the night before, he was feeling optimistic.

This was the first full year Mal and her friends were going to have at Auradon Prep and Ben sincerely hoped that the year went smoothly.

" _Look who's extremely cheery this morning."_ Ben found himself being pulled out of his daydream. He had just entered the dining room to find his parents and Gia already sitting at the dining table.

"Morning all." He greeted as he went to kiss his mother and Gia on the cheek.

"Morning son." Adam greeted, not looking up from his newspaper.

"How are you fairing for your first day back at school?" Belle asked as Ben seated himself.

"Dear," Adam scolded with a smile. "He's only just sat down."

Gia rolled her eyes.

Ben felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked it and smiled.

"What?" Gia asked, looking over at him.

"I just got a message from Jay. Breakfast with the guys and the girls."

"I take it that means Mal too." Gia snorted in amusement as Ben rose from his seat. She chuckled at Ben leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

"Hush you." He chuckled.

Gia smiled. "I can have my fun, can't I? That is considering my boyfriend is the one who messaged you."

"Darling," Belle said to her foster daughter. "Please play nice. We don't want you fired on your first day."

"Oh, yes," Ben said as he stepped away from the table. "Gia's first day as Auradon Prep's new deputy headmistress and magic teacher."

"How're you feeling about that?" Adam asked finally looking up from his newspaper.

"Rather good actually. I have a good feeling." Gia answered smugly.

"That's good." Belle nodded in approval.

"I gotta go." Ben said as he turned towards the door.

"Ben," Gia called causing the king to turn around. "I'll see you at the assembly, yeah?"

"Yep." Ben called, raising his hand in the air and made his exit from the room.

* * *

The boys gathered outside the cafeteria waiting for the girls. They talked about their summers and what they hoped the new school year would bring.

"I hope we win the championship again this year." Doug said in reference to the Tourney team.

"I agree," Ben nodded. "It would be nice."

The conversation ceased when Evie appeared with Mal, Lonnie and Jane in tow.

"Morning boys." Evie greeted.

Dude barked in greeting.

"Morning Dude." Evie giggled as she reached over and gave Dude a pat. The campus mutt licked her hand.

Mal stepped immediately to Ben's side.

"Morning." Ben whispered in her ear.

Mal giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

Carlos wrapped an arm around Jane and kissed her cheek.

Evie stepped over to Doug and slid her hand into his hand causing him to smile and then blush.

Jay sniffed the air. "They've just put out the bacon."

With that the group, raced inside wanting to get the best food.

* * *

The group settled at their usual table outside in the morning sun. They had all filled their plates with all the different breakfast products that the cafeteria had on offer.

Jay and Carlos were having a full out eating contest as who could eat the most bacon and egg rolls in a set amount of time.

"Come on guys," Ben chuckled. "You're going to make yourselves sick."

"Let them," Mal said from beside him. "This is luxury to them. Breakfast on the Isle of the Lost was nothing more then rotten apple sludge."

The Auradonians bowed their heads. It was sad to hear such a thing.

"That's awful." Lonnie said sadly.

The VKs ignored their counterparts and started to eat.

* * *

After breakfast, the group went back to their dorms to gather their stuff for the day before meeting up again at the lockers.

"So, what happens on the first day back?" Evie asked.

Ben turned to her. "There is an assembly where the pre-existing students are welcomed back. Afterwards, the rest of us go off to class while the seniors are assigned small groups of freshmen to show around the school."

"That's not us," Lonnie reassured the VKs. "At least, not until next year."

The VKs nodded.

Putting their stuff into their lockers the group of friends, hung around until the warning bell sounded, alerting the students of the assembly.

Mal grabbed Ben's hand to hide the fact she was a little nervous. He gently gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before leading her and the others towards the auditorium.

* * *

By the time Ben and the others had arrived at the auditorium, half the school was already there waiting.

No one noticed them as they entered.

To the group's luck, there were vacant seats closest to the front. The group took them without hesitation.

Doug and Evie led the group to their seats. Lonnie, Carlos and Dude, Jane and Jay next followed by Ben and Mal.

Mal looked around, trying to find Gia. "Where is she?"

Ben watched her for a moment before tapping her on the shoulder, pointing to the stage.

Sure enough, Gia was sitting beside Fairy Godmother. There were two other chairs that still had to be filled.

"Why are there two extra chairs?" Mal asked.

"We'll find out." Doug said.

A couple of minutes past and the two chairs were filled by Evie and Doug's chemistry teacher Mr. Delay while the second seat was filled by Mulan.

Evie leaned over and whispered to Doug, "Why is Lonnie's mom up at there?"

Doug looked at her and shrugged.

Mal looked at Ben but he was just as mystified as Doug was.

Evie and Mal exchanged looks before turning back to the stage where Fairy Godmother had just taken to the stage.

The room suddenly went silent.

"Welcome back children to a new year at Auradon Prep."

The students clapped.

"This year we have two new additions to our staff," Fairy Godmother turned to gesture to Gia and Mulan. "Lady Gia and Fa Mulan are taking on teaching duties this year so I hope you all make them feel welcome." The headmistress stepped back and Gia took her place.

"Thank you Fairy Godmother for that very warm welcome. Wow," Gia looked over the crowd of young faces. "Just two years ago I was starting my senior year here at Auradon Prep and now, two years on, I'm now a teacher and your new deputy headmistress. Who would have thought?" she spread her arms.

In the crowd, Ben, Mal and their friends smirked.

"Anyway," Gia went on. "I will pass you onto Mulan." She backed up and returned to her seat but not before gesturing to Mulan.

Mulan rose and patted Gia on the shoulder as she passed.

"Thank you Your Ladyship," Mulan said. "I would like to thank Fairy Godmother for the chance to be here to be able to teach you, the students of Auradon Prep about how the villains wanted to overthrow the heroes."

From where she was sitting with Jade, Titus and Ulysses, Freddie slid down in her seat. She knew her father's story as the man who tried to steal the La Bouff fortune and how he had killed Tiana and Naveen's firefly friend Ray. This was a classic example of the villain trying to overthrow the heroes of their story.

"I will be teaching a second history class that will be dedicated to the villains. Most of you will already know your parents' stories. Now, since Ben's proclamation last year to bring the villainous offspring to Auradon, Fairy Godmother and I have thought it would be good to explore the villains' side of the story."

There was murmuring from the crowd.

Ben chewed his lip. Fairy Godmother hadn't told him any of this. He looked over at Mal when he felt her touch his shoulder. He shook his head upon seeing the silent question behind her eyes.

Mulan looked over the crowd and locked eyes with Mal.

Mal smiled up at Lonnie's mother. The woman returned the gesture. Mal knew that Mulan's idea of a villain dedicated history class had been inspired by her and her friends.

"Alright, settle down, everyone." Mulan said. The crowd did as they were told. "I know this is unexpected but at least give it chance." She looked over her shoulder at Gia who appeared worried.

The crowd murmured amongst itself again. The only ones that didn't were Mal, Ben and their friends.

Lonnie looked up at her mother, her heart and stomach sinking. Was her mother's idea already a lost cause before it had even began?

The murmuring died down.

Mulan bit her lip before turning to see Fairy Godmother standing at her side.

"Children," Fairy Godmother began. "We understand that you have your doubts about this villain based class but you've already accepted eight VKs."

The murmuring started up again.

"Yes," Gia said as she rose from her chair and stepped towards Fairy Godmother and Mulan. "Just yesterday we welcomed four new VKs to Auradon Prep. You weren't given a heads up like you were last year for a _very_ good reason."

"What reason?" Someone yelled from audience.

"That is for you to work out," Mulan said bluntly. "Please do not make the same mistake you made with last year's VKs."

Many of the students looked at each other, remembering the events of the previous year. The freshmen students looked confused.

The new VKs looked at each other as well.

Freddie knew from the last time she had been in Auradon that the Auradonian kids were mostly forgiving. She had decided to go back to the island after the incident with Harriet Hook. While Mal, Evie, Ben and yes, Audrey hadn't wanted her to go, she said it would be a 'honor' to punish herself for hiding and lying about Harriet.

Ben had thought Freddie punishing herself had been a bit extreme but Mal and Evie had told him to let Freddie do what she thought was right. While he hadn't thought it was fair, he thought it would be best to send Harriet back too so that Freddie didn't feel so bad.

For a long while, everyone had forgotten that Freddie had even been in Auradon but Ben's second VK proclamation had brought back memories.

"Alright, I think we ought to end this assembly. Seniors, don't forget to gather your groups of freshmen for your tours. The rest of you, go to class." Fairy Godmother said.

The students rose section by section but didn't move until the seniors had gathered the freshmen and left the auditorium.

"Well, that was awkward," Mal said as she shouldered her backpack and hugged her sketchbook to her chest. "Wasn't expecting that."

"I don't know why people's minds about the whole 'villain kids being in Auradon' thing is the same as it was when we came here." Evie said sadly.

"Some people will change, some won't." Doug said.

Ben, who hadn't been paying attention, was looking up at the stage to see Gia and Mulan talking with Mr. Delay and Fairy Godmother.

"… I'm so sorry for how the students reacted to your class, Mulan." Fairy Godmother apologised.

Mulan kept her telling her that it was fine and that she had expected the reaction she had gotten.

Mr. Delay r didn't look too happy as he hadn't gotten to speak at the assembly.

"Hey guys," Ben said, his eyes still on the stage. "I'm gonna go see Gia." He finally tore his eyes away from the stage and faced his friends.

The others looked at the stage and saw the tension Ben had.

"Good idea." Doug said with a nod.

A couple of people moved so the group could get out.

Ben hesitated as he looked back at the stage.

"Hey."

He turned when he felt Mal place a hand on his shoulder. "Go. She needs you." Maleficent's daughter jerked her head towards the stage.

Ben smiled and kissed her goodbye before he started for the stage.

"M, you coming?" Evie asked.

Mal took one last look at Ben's retreating back before following her best friend over to the others.

"We'd better get goin'." Carlos said as he reached down to pick up Dude off the floor.

"Who has what first?" Jay asked.

"I've got animal studies so I gotta go like now." Carlos said urgently.

"Go then." Evie smiled as she shooed him.

Carlos scurried off, still carrying Dude.

"I've got gym." Lonnie said with a roll of her eyes.

"Isn't your gym class being taught by your Uncle Ling this year?" Evie said, arching an eyebrow at her.

Lonnie shook her head. "Um, yeah but there was a slight change of plans."

"What?" Jay asked.

"Something about Uncle Ling losing one too many teeth during a training session earlier in the summer so Uncle Yao has had to take over."

"Isn't Yao always extra cranky if anyone is late?" Mal said.

Lonnie gasped, turned and bolted out of the auditorium.

"I've got band practice. I'll see you ladies later." Doug said as he kissed Evie on the cheek.

"See ya, Doug." Mal said.

"What about you Miss Jane?" Evie asked kindly once Doug had left.

Jane gave her a startled look, like she was a deer struck by the headlights of a car. "I-I have a private magic lesson with my mom." She whimpered in fear and scurried out of the room as quick as her legs would carry her.

Mal and Evie exchanged looks. Jane would often revert back to her old timid self whenever Carlos wasn't around.

"I've got Chemistry, woo-hoo." Jay twirled his finger in the air unenthusiastically as he headed for the door.

This left just Mal and Evie. "Well, it looks like we've got Algebra." Evie said.

Mal groaned. "Why did we have to have a maths class as our first class of the year?"

"Beats gym." Evie said.

While this didn't make Mal feel any better, she found herself linking arms with Evie and being pulled out of the auditorium.

* * *

Ben mounted the stairs of the stage and found himself standing beside Mr. Delay off to the side just beyond the curtains.

The older man stood with his arms crossed as he watched the women talk.

"What's going on?" Ben asked the teacher.

Delay shrugged. "No idea. I haven't really been listening."

Nearby, Fairy Godmother, Gia and Mulan were fighting back the urge to bite each other's heads off.

"We knew from the beginning that the kids were going to despise the idea of a villain history class." Gia hissed. "And why is it that _I_ only find out about this class like now?"

"Well acknowledged Gia," Mulan said calmly. "But it was worth a shot. We didn't tell you because we knew you'd say it would be too risky considering the amount of parents who still hate the idea of VKs being among their children."

Gia groaned and scrubbed a hand over her face.

"It's too late to do anything about it now. The first class is after lunch today," Fairy Godmother said. "I want this year to work out just like you both do. Now," she clapped her hands together. "Come along, dears. I'll show you both the staffroom."

Fairy Godmother started to walk towards the opposite side of the stage. Mulan followed her and disappeared beyond the curtain.

Gia crossed her arms and sighed.

" _Hey."_

The Lady of Auradon turned to see Ben watching her. "Hey," she said. "What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on your way to class?"

"Yeah in a minute. I had to check on you." Ben stepped closer to her. He could feel Mr. Delay's eyes on him but the king close to ignore him.

The teacher sighed, turned and walked away.

"That's very sweet of you, darling but you don't need to check on me." Gia offered Ben a thankful smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I wanted to plus Mal agreed to it."

Gia raised an eyebrow. "Did she now? You know she's not queen."

Ben smirked. "I admire her input. A king needs that, you know."

Gia rolled her eyes. "Little brothers." She muttered. "Mal really has rubbed off on you."

"I'm glad you approve." Ben grinned.

Gia grinned in return. " _I'm_ glad you don't think I'm not being overbearing."

"You? Overbearing? Never."

"Alright you." Gia patted him on the arm. "Off to class. I don't want to have to write you a late note."

Ben snorted. "Okay, okay. I'm going. I'll catch up with you later, yeah?"

"Whatever. Go, Your Majesty."

Ben laughed as he shook his head and left the stage.

* * *

A few hours after the assembly, Evie found herself sitting in her fashion design class unable to focus.

While she was the top student in her class, Evie found herself unable to think of anything to design. She had designed countless outfits for herself and Mal and her other friends. Heck, she was even designing costumes for the Auradon City Dance Company but NEVER had she _not_ been inspired by anything.

" _Is everything okay, Evie?"_

Evie jerked out of her daydream to find the class teacher, the good fairy Flora, watching her. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry Miss Flora." She apologised.

"You haven't touched your sketchbook all lesson." The good fairy said kindly, sitting down opposite the girl.

Evie sighed. "I just can't get inspired today, ma'am."

Flora looked at Evie and offered her a sympathetic smile. "You're one of my best students, Miss Evie. For as long as you've been in my class, you've been the one that has inspired the other students."

Evie blinked. No one had ever said that to her before about her designs before. "I'm an inspiration?"

Flora nodded. "Yes. I have seen the eyes of the students whenever you get up to do a presentation. You might not realise it yet, but others thrive to become as good as you."

Evie didn't know what to say. "I'm nothing special. I had to learn how to make my own clothes when I was young because it was my mother's desire that I be the 'fairest of them all'." She hung her head.

Flora was touched by Evie's story. She and her sisters had secretly sided with Ben because they knew it wouldn't sit well with Aurora and Philip if they sided with the VKs. "Dear one," the fairy said taking Evie's hand. "You have a gift and one your mother should have be proud of."

Evie issued a watery smile. "Thank you, Miss Flora."

Flora smiled when something caught her eye. "Evie?"

"Yes?"

"May I see those pages?" Flora pointed to the pieces of paper that were peeking out of Evie's design portfolio.

"Sure." Evie said uncertainly. She reached for the pages and gently tugged them out of the folder before pushing them in front of the teacher.

Flora examined Evie's sketches with great interest. She examined every little detail.

Evie watched on nervously. "Well?" she said wringing her hands together.

"These are the most amazing designs I have ever seen. You have certainly put a lot of time and effort into them."

"Thank you." Evie said gratefully.

"Whom did you design this one for?" Flora asked kindly, pointing to the sketch in her hand.

"My best friend," Evie croaked. "Mal."

Flora nodded. "Ben's girlfriend and Maleficent's daughter."

Evie felt a lump form in her throat. She knew that Flora and her sisters didn't have a good experience with Maleficent.

Flora, having seen Evie's frightened expression, chuckled. "There is no need to be frightened of my reaction, dear. Yes, my sisters and I have had experiences with Maleficent but we have come to realise that we and everyone else were wrong to judge Mal, you and those two boys that came with you because of who your parents are."

Evie looked surprised. "You aren't blaming us for anything our parents have done?"

"No." Flora shook her head. "We don't. If there is one thing Ben has been able to change since he became king it's the opinions of my sisters and myself. I can't talk for the other sidekicks but I know we aren't going to judge you." The fairy gave Evie another kind smile.

Evie smiled back when suddenly an idea started to brew. "I have an idea for a design."

Flora smiled and rose from her chair. "I shall love to see it once you have completed it."

Evie beamed and nodded. "Thank you for the encouragement, Miss Flora."

"Anytime my dear." Flora stepped away and went to check on the other students.

Evie, now feeling incredibly inspired, set upon planning out her newest design.

* * *

Jay, Carlos and Ben stood on the Tourney field. They were watching the newest members of the team be lectured by Coach Jenkins.

"…You're a bunch of softies!" the coach yelled.

The new players looked mortified at displeasing the coach.

Ben had to hold back a laugh.

Jay and Carlos looked at him, puzzled.

"I was just remembered when I tried out for the team in freshman year. I was a mess. I remember running in the opposite direction and scoring… in the wrong goal. Gia gave me grief for a week." Ben shook his head at the memory.

"That's right," Carlos said. "Gia was a senior when you started here, wasn't she?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah. She actually saw my tryout. I still can't believe that I made team captain after that."

"She was on the field with you?" Jay asked.

"No. She was captain of the Cheerleading Squad."

Jay and Carlos looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.

"Gia? A cheerleader? That's a laugh." Jay laughed.

Upon catching the serious expression on Ben's face, the villainous pair stopped laughing.

"You're serious?" Carlos said.

Ben nodded, his eyes wide in seriousness.

There was a yelp causing the boys to look up from their conversation.

One of the new boys had just been hit in the gut with a ball from the cannon.

"Sorry! My bad!" the guy at the cannon called.

The field medic hurried over to check on the boy and after a few minutes cleared the boy of any serious injury.

"Just be careful." Coach cautioned as the teen at the cannon jumped down from his post.

The boy saluted and folded his arms.

The coach went back to the new boys while Ben, Jay and Carlos continued to watch from the sidelines.

From where he was standing, Chad could see just how at ease Ben looked with Jay and Carlos practically flanking him like bodyguards. He couldn't believe that Ben had invited those two and those two girls that had accompanied them back to Auradon.

He hated the fact that Mal had been the one to break Ben and Audrey up.

He had nothing to blame Carlos for but he still hated him.

He hated Evie because she was smart and had put him in his place. He still stood by giving her magic mirror to Delay.

He disliked Jay the most because Jafar's son had unintentionally replaced him as co-captain of the team.

Despite the good the VKs had done since Ben's coronation, Chad still believed that the four were trouble. To make things worse for him, he now had four more VKs to tend with. He hadn't seen them yet but he knew that if he saw them out and about, he would recognise them in an instant.

" _I'd watch it, Chad."_

Chad jumped when he heard Ben's voice behind him. He turned to see the king, flanked by Jay and Carlos.

Ben raised an eyebrow at his former friend. In the time since last year's disastrous Family Day events, Mal and her friends had taught him how to draw the line when it came to those who doubted him. "I would watch where that cannon is being aimed." He patted Chad on the shoulder before he moved towards the bleachers with Jay and Carlos following him.

Jay barged Chad's shoulder as he passed causing Cinderella's son to cringe and grab his shoulder in pain.

* * *

Mal walked out of her art class and down towards the cafeteria. She was glad to get out of class. For some reason, she felt trapped in having to spend three hours sitting down plus it was three hours away from Ben.

" _Mal!"_

Mal spun around but frowned when she saw who had called her.

"Oh, hey Doug." She said, trying not to show how disappointed she felt.

"Have you seen Evie?" he asked.

"Not since Algebra this morning. Why?"

Doug shrugged.

Mal frowned. "What's going on? Doug?"

Doug squirmed. He had come to know Mal's glares better then most Auradonian kids. "I-I just wanted her help on this chemistry homework." He stammered.

"Wasn't she in your class?" Mal questioned.

Doug shook his head. "No. There's more students in the chem classes this year so Evie's in a different class to me at a different time."

"Do you both have Delay still?"

"Yeah. He's the head chemistry teacher. Evie texted me and told she got Delay as her teacher again. She also said that she was disappointed that we weren't in the same class."

Mal remembered the incident the year before involving Evie, her magic mirror, Delay and Chad. Evie had nearly gotten expelled for cheating because Chad had dobbed her in.

Evie, with Doug's help had been able to get back into Delay's good books with Evie acing her chemistry test and getting her mirror back even if her mark had been a B+.

Mal thought for a moment. "I'm on my way to the cafeteria now. Let's pray she's there. Come on." She started walking again but this time, Doug at her heels.

* * *

" _Are you sure this is a good idea?"_ Evie asked Ben.

They were at their normal picnic table.

Beside Evie, Jay looked unsure as to whether he should speak up.

"I'm only trying to help her get a handle on her magic," Ben argued. "I know she can control it but what happens if she's faced with a situation and she struggles to control it? What then?"

Evie clenched her jaw. She knew Mal could control her magic with ease but Ben did have a point. What if some situation came up and Mal couldn't control her magic when she needed it most?

"I think Ben's right, Ev." Jay said, speaking up for the first time since he'd sat down.

Evie looked at him and sighed.

"Okay," she threw her hands up in defeat. "What did you have in mind?"

Ben bit his lip. "We drag her to class kicking and screaming."

Jay snorted and chuckled. "Mal isn't one to be dragged off somewhere and she certainly doesn't go kicking and screaming."

Evie crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Can I ask a question?"

"Go ahead." Ben said.

"Why is it that _I'm_ in this magic class? My mom isn't magical and neither am I."

"You're in this class because of your skills in chemistry." Ben said matter-of-factly.

"What do my skills in chemistry have to do with magic?" Evie asked.

"Alchemy," Jay said, knowing this was what Ben was trying to imply. "Your mom was an expert at Alchemy. That was how she changed herself in that old hag before she poisoned Snow White."

Evie thought back to all the stories her mother had told her growing up about all the times she had tried (and failed) to kill Snow White. She thought back to when she had spent ten years, thanks to Maleficent's so-called curse, being castle-schooled. She had memorized all of her mother's potions, having read her mother's grimoire a million times. She couldn't believe she could forget something like that.

"You might not have magical genes but you do have a way with chemicals and Alchemy is another form of magic, if you really think about it."

"Gia's been talking to you, hasn't she?"

"She's the teacher. She has to know who her students are." Ben defended.

Evie held up her hands. "If I don't like the class can I leave and do another class?"

"I don't see why not. The first few lessons are only supposed to be trials."

"Don't worry, Ev," said Jay. "I'm in the class too."

"What about Carlos?" Evie asked.

Ben shook his head. "Only magical or magically capable students."

Evie snarled in frustration but didn't say anything. She wasn't about to repeat herself.

" _Evie! Ben! Jay!"_

Evie, Jay and Ben turned to see Mal and Doug heading towards them, trays of food in their hands.

"Hey. How were your morning classes?" Ben asked as the pair approached.

"The normal." Mal shrugged as she slid next to him earning herself a kiss on the cheek from Ben.

Doug slid in next to Evie and showed her the homework he had shown Mal earlier.

"Where's Carlos?" Jay asked.

"No idea," Mal answered. "He's either late like normal or he's with Jane."

" _Jay! I'm going to kill you!"_ came a voice.

Jay smirked wickedly.

Jade stomped her way over to the table. She had the hood of her sleeveless top pulled up over her head.

"What's with the hood? Jade, honey, it's not winter." Evie said.

Jade gave the bluenette a poisonous glare before returning her gaze to her cousin. She pulled back her hood to reveal that her hair wasn't its normal jet black. It was bright pink.

Evie and Mal gasped, their hands flying to their mouths.

Doug and Ben's jaws dropped.

"What the HELL did you do to my shampoo?!" Jade screamed at Jay.

Jay raised his hands. "Wasn't me, cuz."

Jade tilted her head in disbelief. "Really? I don't see Freddie doing it and she's my roommate."

"No one else except you have been to my room in the last twenty-four hours."

All eyes turned to Jay.

Jafar's son wasn't normally one to cave under pressure but being with Gia had made him even softer then normal. The guilt immediately started to eat away at him.

"Okay! Yes, I spiked your shampoo with food coloring."

"You what?" Mal said. "That stuff takes FOREVER to get out."

"Kidding! It's hair dye."

Jade looked over at Mal, desperately. "Mal, I need you to fix my hair!"

Mal sighed and recited the spell she had used a million times on Lonnie, Jane and most of the other girls at Auradon Prep. "Beware, Foreswear, replace the awful with the original." She did her usual hand gesture with Jade's head following her every movement. The pink in Jade's hair faded, returning to its normal jet black.

"That spell didn't even rhyme." Jay frowned.

"It's lunchtime," Mal defended. "I'm hungry."

Jade sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Mal nodded. "At least no one saw it except us."

Jade smiled at her follow VKs, Ben and Doug before giving Jay a disheartening glare before flicking her hair over her shoulder and stalking off.

Once Jade was out of earshot, Mal turned to her friends. "That was weird." She then turned to Jay. "What gives? Since when do you jinx someone's shampoo?"

Jay cringed. "It goes back to when Jade and I were kids. When we were nine, she mixed salt and sugar into my bottle of water. This was payback for that."

"You wait until now to do it?" Mal raised an eyebrow. "So much for being good."

Jay gave her a hard look but looked away when Ben cleared his throat.

"It's a family thing." Jay defended.

The others rolled their eyes and went back to their food.

Across the table, Ben and Evie were giving each other cryptic looks.

Mal soon took note of the looks her boyfriend and best friend were giving each other. "What's going on with you two?" she asked.

Evie nearly choked on her salad. "Nothing." She tried to shake away Mal's glare.

Mal shot Ben a sideways look. She huffed in annoyance when he ignored her.

* * *

Later that afternoon back in her dorm room, Evie paced in front of her sewing machine. She didn't like lying to Mal. After lunch, Ben had pulled her and Jay aside and told them to keep the magic class news to themselves until Friday.

Evie knew as well as Ben and Jay did that Mal wouldn't go willingly to magic class if she knew about it. Ben had come up with a foolproof plan to get her to go without having to listen to her list the reasons why she didn't need the class. Plus, Evie had found herself rolling her eyes when Ben had said he wanted the whole magic class thing to be a surprise. She and Ben had one thing in common and that was that they were both hopeless romantics. They also loved and adored Mal so how she _not_ say no to anything that involved her BFF?

Sighing, the bluenette went back to her sewing machine and sat down. She picked up a half-finished garment she had been working on for the Auradon City Dance Company and set to work, hoping Ben's idea was going to work out. She only prayed that Mal didn't find out before Friday.

* * *

 _There you have it. I must apologise for the last part with the hair spell Mal casts on Jade. I had Mal come up with an excuse as to why her spell wasn't rhyming because my own rhyming skills SUCK! You would have picked up on it in a couple of previous chapters. So, next chapter it's time for Ben and Evie to activate their plan to get Mal to Magic Class and you'll be introduced to a few new characters that are the offspring of magical heroes or some cases, sidekicks._

 _To be continued..._


	7. Magic Class

**A/N:** _Hi guys! I am so sorry for the wait for this chapter. I have had so much going. I recently lost my grandmother and things have crazy as I got a job interview and I temporarily forgot about this until yesterday. This was supposed to be up yesterday but I got through half of the second edit at like 11.40pm last night and had to put it up as I was tired. This chapter is the one I know a lot of people have been waiting for. So, Evie and Ben activate their plan to get Mal to Magic Class. This chapter also introduces a couple more OCs in the form of Auradonian kids. There will be more VK OCs introduced later in the story but for the moment, most of the upcoming chapters will take place in Auradon. I'm still trying to work how long this story is actually going to be. At the moment, I have at least 150 chapters planned but it may change. Not sure yet._

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Magic Class**

* * *

Friday rolled around much quicker then Ben, Evie and Jay would have liked. They hoped Ben's idea in forcing Mal into Magic Class was going to work.

It was 11am, an hour before lunchtime. Evie and Mal were putting things into their lockers and gathering what they needed for their next classes, which just so happened to be Chemistry and Villain History respectfully.

" _Hey."_

The girls looked up to see Ben leaning against his locket. They smiled.

"Hey." Mal greeted. "What's up?"

"I just thought I'd ask how your first week back was." Ben said casually shrugging.

"Fine. I never thought I'd find the first week back of _any_ school year fun."

"You're learning. That's good." Ben said approvingly.

Mal grinned.

Evie detected flirting. Over the time Mal and Ben had been together, Evie had been able to pick on the couple's flirty games almost immediately. She couldn't help but feel proud of what she had taught Mal since coming to Auradon.

"I'd better let you get to class."

Mal's grin faltered but returned when Ben leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

Ben shrugged.

"See ya." Mal said as she turned, flickering her purple hair over her shoulder and heading towards her class.

"Bye Mal." Evie called after her best friend. She sighed when the only acknowledgement she received from Mal was a lifted hand.

Evie looked over when she heard the sound of clanging. She and Ben turned to see Gia leaning beside Ben's locker. Evie didn't flinch when she felt Jay's hand on her shoulder.

Gia's arms were crossed over her chest and she worn a cunning expression. "Ready?" She asked.

"Ready." The trio of teenagers agreed.

* * *

Mal didn't like being dragged. In fact, she didn't know why her best friend and boyfriend were pulling her down one of Auradon Prep's many identical corridors. It was after lunch and many of the students were still out eating while others had headed to class as soon as the first bell had rang.

"You're going to do fine." Evie said as she clung to Mal's left arm.

"I'm going to do fine in what?"

"You're just going to have to see." Ben said as he clung to Mal's right arm.

Mal pulled a face. "It's Friday lunchtime. We get extra time to eat. Why are you both dragging me to class early?"

Evie and Ben looked at each other.

"It's a surprise." Ben said smoothly.

"You know I hate surprises." Mal grumbled.

Evie snorted. "You do not."

Mal wanted to bite back but found she didn't have the energy. When Evie and Ben teamed up it was normally some harebrained scheme that they'd cooked up to get her to do something she would probably not end up regretting later.

The trio stopped in front of a single door with a window in the centre.

Without letting go of Mal's arm, Evie reached forward and pushed down on the handle. The door swung open, revealing a classroom full of students.

Evie and Ben half-dragged, half-pushed Mal towards one of the closest seats.

Mal looked around to see a lot of familiar faces. Jay. Jane. Jordan. Freddie. Ulysses. Jade. Titus. What were they all doing here? There were even kids that she didn't know. Ben let go of her arm long enough for Evie to guide her to their seats in the front.

Evie sat in the seat closest to the door while Mal was forced to take the seat between Evie and Jay.

What surprised Mal the most was the fact that Gia was standing at the front of the room. She watched as Ben approached his foster sister. They exchanged a few words before Ben turned to address the room.

"Alright guys, listen up." The room went quiet. People had learned to listen when Ben spoke. "You might all be wondering why you're all here," he looked around and saw almost every head excluding Jay's and Evie's nod. "This year you have all been chosen to partake in magic class."

Mal almost yelped but kept her mouth shut.

Ben could see a mix of reactions. He didn't have to look at Mal to know what her reaction was. "This class will teach you how to control your gifts for those of you who were born with natural magic. For those of you who aren't naturally magical, Gia will teach you to harness magic through artificial means." He then turned to Gia. "I leave them in your capable hands, Gia."

"Thanks Ben." Gia nodded as the king turned towards the door.

"Give me a progress report, yeah?" Ben said as he reached the doorway.

"Yep." Gia called.

Ben nodded and left.

Once Ben was out of the room, Gia waved a hand at the door and it slammed closed causing several of her students to jump. "Sorry. Bit over the top. Welcome all to Magic Class." She clasped her hands together. "Like Ben said, this class will help you harness and control your magical abilities." She gazed around the room at her students. "I know there are some of you wondering what you're doing here but you will learn in time."

Jane raised her hand.

"Yes, Jane?" Gia asked kindly.

Jane, for once, didn't look terrified. "What will you be teaching us?"

Gia offered her a smile before looking up to address the class. "I will be teaching you everything I have learned over the years. As a lot of you know, my magic is artificial through the use of my locket." She snapped her fingers and transformed herself into Maleficent.

The class jumped in their seats. A couple of the girls, including Mal yelped in alarm.

Gia smiled and snapped her fingers again, transforming back into herself. "I will be teaching you how to shapeshift." She then dematerialized from the front of the room.

The students looked around, baffled at their teacher's disappearance.

" _Back here."_

The students turned in their seats to find Gia perched on the bench at the back of the room. This time, there were murmurs of awe.

"How'd you do that?" Titus asked.

Gia smirked and dematerialized again, this time appearing at the front of the room. "Another thing I will be teaching you to do, Titus."

For a moment, Gia allowed the students to murmur. "Okay," she clapped her hands once and rubbed them together. "I won't be teaching you today. The fun starts on Monday. Today, each of you will get up and introduce yourselves and tell us who your parents are."

Evie rose from her chair almost automatically. "Well, most of you already know me. I'm Evie, and my mom is the Evil Queen." She quickly sat back down.

A blonde haired girl with her hair pulled up in a ballerina's bun and dressed in lime green stood up next. "I'm Trixie, daughter of Tinkerbell and Terence." She sat back down.

Mal found herself standing. "Hi guys, you already know me but oh well. My name's Mal and I'm Maleficent's daughter." She half-expected the class to gasp and murmur but found they were civil. Her eyes met Gia's who gave her a curt nod and sat back down.

Jordan stood up. "I'm Jordan and I'm the daughter of Aladdin's pal, the Genie." She too sat down.

One by one the rest of the class introduced themselves. By the time the last person (who happened to be Jane) had been introduced, it was time for the bell.

"Oh, look at the time," Gia said as the bell finished ringing. "Great work today guys. Our first official lesson is Monday so have a good weekend and be sure to come to class sunny-faced."

A few of the VKs looked at each other.

Mal struggled not to gag.

"Class dismissed."

* * *

" _How was your first teaching lesson?"_

Gia sat in the student lounge with Ben. It was after school and the other students were back in their dorms relaxing or milling around doing extracurricular activities.

"It went well." Gia told him. "I didn't actually teach them anything today. We only did introductions."

"Fair enough. Let me guess. The fun begins Monday?"

Gia gave him a pointed look. "To answer your question, yes. The fun starts Monday."

Ben nodded. "How was Mal after I left? Did she try to run for it?"

"No. She did good. She didn't even try to run once. I think she actually enjoyed herself."

"Well, she is half-fairy," Ben said thoughtfully. "Magic is in her blood."

"True that," Gia nodded. "She'll do fine. From what I've seen already of her magic, she can handle herself but I know, you just want her to have extra help in case something happens."

Ben grinned.

"Ben, honey, I know you're only trying to protect her but she doesn't need protecting. You of all people should know that."

Ben clenched his jaw. It was true. Mal could defend herself. After all, she did threaten Audrey with a fashion faux pas after she was taunted during the aftermath of Family Day. "You're right on _so_ many levels."

"I am right, aren't I?" Gia smirked.

Ben rolled his eyes. "I've always been able to rely on you."

"My pleasure of course."

"What's in store for the next week's lesson?"

"Shapeshifting basics."

Ben snorted. "Shapeshifting's a bit advanced for first timers, isn't it?"

"No. You know, my first shapeshifting experience was when I was eight and I accidentally changed into your mother."

Ben looked at her in surprise. "Really? I never knew that."

"Yeah. It was an accident. Scared the crap out of both your parents. Your father couldn't tell which one of us was the real Belle just by looking at us."

"You were THAT convincing?" Ben asked.

"Yep. The only way he could tell which one of us was the right one was by our voices."

"You couldn't disguise your voice?"

"At the time, I couldn't. Oh! That reminds me. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the students when I changed into Maleficent. It was priceless!"

"How did Mal take to that?"

"She was stunned by it but she quickly recovered. She knew I was only demonstrating what I could teach them."

"As long as you're sure." Ben said.

Gia nodded. "How about you? How was your first week back?"

Ben groaned. "Just what I thought it was going to be. King stuff comes first."

"Poor baby. You knew this was coming before you became king."

"I know. If you want to place any blame on anyone blame my dad. He was the one who wanted the early retirement."

"I'm not placing the blame on anyone and especially not your father, though I do agree that no kid should become monarch at a young age. Your father should never have been pressured into allowing you to become king at sixteen."

"What? He was pressured?" Ben frowned.

"As far as I know."

"I thought he decreed that I _had_ to be king at sixteen along with any of my heirs."

"He did but there was a lot more to it then what you know."

Ben could feel the anger pulsing through his veins. He rose to his feet and headed straight for the door.

Gia dematerialized and appeared at the door, blocking Ben's exit. "What are you doing?"

"Going to talk to my dad. I want to know why he made me become king young."

Gia looked at him sympathetically. "I know he only gave you half the information but you can't just go barging in there demanding answers. Your parents raised you better then that."

"What do I do then? I can't just stand by and ignore that fact."

"I will talk to him. You go spend some time with Mal. Clear your mind. Your first weekend back at school is supposed to be fun."

Ben sighed. "Fine. I'll see you later."

Gia smiled and stepped aside, allowing Ben to exit the room.

* * *

" _Why didn't you tell him everything?"_

Gia stood in the Belle's library with Adam. She had teleported herself back to Castle Beast after her conversation with Ben. She had wanted Ben to have peace of mind, at least, for one weekend.

"I didn't want him to worry." Adam said. "You shouldn't have told him."

"It just slipped out."

"It just slipped out? Things just don't slip out with you, Gianna."

Gia's lips pressed together. She scowled at the look Adam gave her. It was a look that Gia knew all too well. Ben might have been king but Adam was still the family patriarch.

"I'm telling the truth, Adam. It just spilled out but this isn't about me. This is about Ben. He had a right to know Charming and Philip practically forced the decision down your throat."

Adam looked at her, unable think of what to say next.

"Just because they married at young ages doesn't mean they should have forced you to cram kingship down Ben's throat at sixteen." Gia's tone displayed her disgust.

"It was two decades ago."

"Doesn't matter," Gia said. "They shouldn't have done it."

"I know but the law can't be changed now."

"Yes, it can. Ben has the power to change that. No child should become monarch at sixteen. It's too much pressure at that age. I never wanted this for him."

"In all honesty, neither did I but, the law is the law, Gia. Until Ben decides what is to happen for the future of Auradon, it is to stay the way it is."

Gia clenched her jaw in irritation. She didn't like the fact that Ben had a much bigger burden on his shoulders then he did before but she couldn't help her over protectiveness.

"I know you want what's best for him," Adam said gently, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "But you have to let him make his own decisions."

"I know but I can't help it. After everything Audrey and Chad have put him through," she sighed and shook her head. "It's inexcusable what they did."

"I know but it was handled and you shouldn't worry. Besides, Mal has everything covered."

Gia chuckled. Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

Adam laughed.

* * *

Ben and Mal walked hand-in-hand across the Tourney Field. It was an hour and a half before dinner was to begin and the couple had snuck out of their dorms, under the noses of their extremely persistent best friends and roommates who just so happened to be dating.

"I hate Evie at the moment." Mal groaned.

"Why?" Ben asked.

"She kept going on and on about how her life as a Chemistry student could be doomed."

"What's Delay done this time?" Ben said in an under tone.

"According to Evie, he keeps telling her Chemistry class to follow her example and stuff."

"Isn't that good?" Ben asked. "I thought Evie _liked_ being the centre of attention."

"Not like this. I know we've been in Auradon almost a year now but we're still adjusting. Sure, Evie's become accustom to all the new words and the new foods and of course, the fashion but when it comes to praise, Evie's still getting use to it all."

"I can understand that." Ben nodded.

Mal gave him a sideways look. "Can you? You've been praised all your life. Evie, Jay, Carlos and I haven't. It's still new to us. Our parents saw us as failures."

Ben had heard plenty of horror stories over the last year about the Isle of the Lost and what the villains were really like. He recalled what Lonnie had told him about the villains not loving their children.

Of course, that had been the truth but it had also been a sob story in order to get Lonnie to cry so that Mal could use her tears to make the love spell cookie Ben had eaten.

Mal had told Ben what she had used in the cookie she had given him. She had sworn she would never use the spell again. That was a promise Ben knew she would keep.

"My parents might not have seen me as a failure but I felt like one." Ben confessed.

Mal looked at him in awe. "You? Really? Huh. I never would have guessed."

Ben gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "Yeah. The first time my dad put me in charge of a Council of Sidekicks meeting. Let's just say, it didn't go too well."

Mal thought back to the year before and remembered a part of a conversation they had had. She recalled Ben saying something about how much he hated Sidekick Council meetings. If she had to guess, his first solo meeting with the sidekicks must have been the reason.

"Why? What happened?"

"When the sidekicks didn't listen to me, I had to climb up on the table and yell at them like a little kid throwing a tantrum."

Mal's jaw dropped. She couldn't imagine her chivalrous boyfriend and king-in- shining armor standing on a table and yelling at a bunch of sidekicks. The image wouldn't form in her head. "Really? Because I can't imagine you doing that."

Ben chuckled and pulled her closer. "Do you think less of me?"

Mal grinned up at him before resting her head against his chest. "No. Do you think less of me for love spelling you?"

"Not even in the slightest." He murmured in her ear.

Mal smiled and lifted her head, her lips capturing his.

From under the bleachers, Audrey watched in disgust. How dare Mal kiss the guy who was meant to be her's?! Who did she think she was? She was just like her mother. Her parents and grandmother had been right. Mal was just like Maleficent. She stole everything that she wanted and Ben just so happened to be one of them. Snorting in disgust, Audrey walked away and back towards her dorm.

Back on the field, Mal broke the kiss with a smile.

"What was that for?" Ben asked, returning her smile.

Mal grinned and shrugged. "Just because." She returned her head to Ben's chest for a moment.

They were only interrupted when Ben's phone sounded; telling them it was time to head to dinner.

* * *

Reaching the cafeteria, Mal and Ben separated to gather their food from the buffet tables before heading over to their normal dinner table.

"About time you guys showed up," Evie said. "Jay was just sharing with us his adventures in gym."

This earned an eye roll from Mal. Jay had always been sporty even when they had been living on the Isle of the Lost.

The couple sat down.

"How was your first week back?" Jay asked Ben after he had stopped talking about his gym adventures.

"Not as good as I thought it'd be," Ben told him. "I've had to combine monarch duties and school life. Not a good mix."

"I'm glad I'm not you, bro. I don't think I could cope."

"Jay!" Evie scolded. "We've spoken about this like, a million times since the coronation. Leave the poor guy alone."

"It's alright Ev," Ben said. "I'm use to it. It's something I've gotten use to it since last year."

Jay bowed his head and went back to his dinner.

"Sorry we're late you guys," Lonnie apologized as she and Jane joined the group. "We got caught up in an unexpected protest."

"A protest?" Doug questioned, exchanging looks with Ben.

"It was outside the Remedial Goodness classroom," Jane said as she sat down between Jay and Carlos.

Lonnie nodded as she sat beside Doug. "It was… weird."

"How weird?" Mal asked.

"Weirder then anything that goes on around here." Said Artie, the son of King Arthur as he passed the table, a food tray in his hands. His hair was a dirty blonde and his eyes were brown. He wore a chainmail inspired t-shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. On his feet were pitch-black combat boots.

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked.

"Protests very rarely happen here. It would have to be something _really_ big to catch anyone's attention." He then walked away.

The original VKs exchanged looks with their AK friends.

"You said the protest was outside the Remedial Goodness classroom," Jay said to Jane. "Who do you think is behind it?"

"I know just about everyone in this school," Jane said. "And I think it might have been Audrey's doing."

"What makes you think that?" Ben asked.

"Think about it," Lonnie said. "Since last year, she's still on the war path over the whole Mal stealing you thing."

Mal groaned when she grasped what Lonnie was eluding to. "She saw us on the Tourney Field earlier." She said to Ben.

"But why would she stage a protest?" Carlos asked.

The others were at a loss to explain it themselves.

"I have an idea," Evie said. She reached for her purse and dug around inside it for her Magic Mirror. "Mirror, mirror in my hand, show me Audrey's wicked deeds."

For a moment the surface of the mirror shimmered before it started to flash a selection of images.

The images were in no particular order and were all events that had occurred during that week.

 _The arrival of the new VKs._

 _Mal and Ben kissing on the Tourney Field._

 _Evie getting an A+ in Chemistry._

 _Jay ramming Chad during Tourney Tryouts._

 _Carlos, Jane and Dude almost running into Audrey on the way to the library._

 _Lonnie and Doug during study hall going over their Chemistry notes._

"Wait a second," Mal said. "What does Doug and Lonnie's study hall class and Evie's A+ have to with Audrey?"

"Audrey's in our study hall class." Lonnie said with a shrug. "Plus we're friends with you VKs."

"And Audrey's in my Chemistry class." Evie added.

"E, I think your mirror's broken. Those weren't wicked deeds." Mal said.

"She's right," Jay said peering over the table at the images flickering across the mirror glass again. "What do most of these have to do with Audrey? Like Mal said, these aren't wicked deeds."

Mal looked over at him, throwing a look that said, 'Well duh!'

Ben looked at the images and thought. "Audrey was the onlooker of all these events."

"She couldn't have been," Mal said dismissively. "She wasn't even in Auradon when Freddie, Jade and boys showed up."

"Maybe she got back _early_ and was spying on us." Carlos said.

"That is the most…" Mal started to say before she was cut off.

"…Brilliant thing you have said all night." Evie said. "Why else would the mirror show these images if they didn't have anything to do with Audrey?"

"Yeah, but where does the wicked deeds thing come in?" Mal asked. She was frustrated at having to repeat herself.

Evie looked at her, unsure. "I-I don't know." She admitted.

"Maybe the mirror is showing us her envy towards us." Ben suggested.

"Envy could be a wicked deed, depending on how you look at it." Mal agreed.

"Do you think we should be worried?" Carlos asked. He felt Jane grab his arm in fear.

At that moment, Audrey walked in with Anxelin, the eldest of Rapunzel's daughters. The moment she caught sight of the group, she paled, grabbed a plate from the closest table and turned her back.

Anxelin gave the group an apologetic look before grabbing a plate of her own.

"What was that about?" Mal murmured, loud enough for only the group to hear.

"No idea." Ben murmured in return.

For the rest of dinner, the group tried to work out why Audrey would start a protest and then pretend it never happened.

"That's it!" Mal threw down her fork, rose from her seat beside Ben and stomped over to Audrey's table.

Ben and Lonnie tried to grab her but she moved out of their reach.

"What's the big idea?" Mal accused as she stopped in front of Audrey's table, her hands planted on her hips.

Audrey looked up from her food. "I don't know what you mean." The princess said innocently.

"Oh that's bullshit and you know it, Audrey. What's the big idea in starting a protest outside Remedial Goodness? Don't bother trying to deny it because Lonnie and Jane were late to dinner because they got stuck in the middle of your little show."

Audrey's face went bright red.

Anxelin, her sister Ruby and Jordan all looked away as Audrey rose from her seat.

The entire cafeteria had gone quiet and all eyes were on the two enemies.

Back at the table, Ben and the others couldn't move. They watched wide-eyed as Mal and Audrey stared each other down.

"I am a princess who is destined to become a queen," Audrey said darkly. " _You_ are nothing more then Maleficent's spawn. If you want to send me into a hundred year sleep like your mother did to mine, go ahead. Chad will only kiss me and bring me back."

Ben, Jay and Carlos started to get up from their seats but the girls and a couple of the boys from the table next to them stopped them.

Titus and Ulysses, who had been sitting with Artie jumped out of their seats, in case one of the trio of insulted boys broke free from their restrainers.

Mal smirked. "Do you know what I think of you, Audrey?" she asked, her voice was even darker then her mother's had been when she had cursed baby Aurora. "You are a selfish, self-absorbed little princess who cares for no one but herself. I'm actually glad my mother cursed yours. You're just as judgmental and as conniving as my mother."

Audrey shrieked and went to lunge at Mal only to be pulled back by Anxelin and Pip, the son of Peter Pan.

"Audrey, calm down." Pip said as Audrey tried to wrestle out of his and Anxelin's grasp.

The doors to the cafeteria flew open, revealing a pissed off looking Gia.

Observing the scene, the deputy headmistress placed her hands on her hips. "What in Zeus' name is going on in here?" Her gaze immediately fell on Audrey and Mal.

Anxelin and Pip released Audrey, making her stumble into the table.

Titus, Ulysses and Artie dropped back into their seats.

Ben, Jay and Carlos grudgingly sat back down.

"Mal, Audrey, my office," Gia said. When neither one of the girls moved, she ordered, "Now." Her tone was hard and commanding.

Mal and Audrey hung their heads and followed Gia out of the cafeteria.

* * *

The walk to Gia's office was silent as Mal and Audrey walked in step with the deputy headmistress.

Upon reaching the main administration building, the quarreling duo stopped for a moment as Gia pulled the door open, allowing them to enter.

Once in the deputy headmistress' office, the duo didn't have to be told to sit down. They jumped as the door magically swung close.

Gia took her place behind the desk, sitting down in her chair. "Alright, ladies. Can either of you tell me what happened in the cafeteria earlier?"

"There was a… misunderstanding, that's all, my lady." Audrey said smoothly.

Gia raised her eyebrows.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Really?"

Audrey was about to retaliate when Gia cut across her.

"Enough." The deputy headmistress said raising her hand. "I don't care if your parents are rivals. Trying to show each other up will _not_ be tolerated from either one of you."

"Yes, deputy headmistress." The duo chorused.

"May I ask what sparked it?"

Mal's head shot up. "Lonnie and Jane got to dinner late because there was a protest taking place outside the Remedial Goodness classroom."

Gia was taken aback. "A protest?"

Mal nodded. "Evie asked her magic mirror if Audrey was involved and it gave her an answer."

"And that was?" Gia prompted.

"It was more of a cryptic answer that we had to work out. We believe Audrey wasn't happy with the idea of us VKs getting more attention then her. She envies us."

Audrey snorted. "Me? Envy you? Please."

"Audrey," Gia said, leaning forward at the desk, her fingers laced together. "Care to give me your side of the story?"

"Absolutely, my lady," Audrey shot Mal with a sickly sweet smile. "Yes, Mal is right. I did start a protest group outside Remedial Goodness. I have always shown my contempt for Ben's proclamation to have the children from the Isle of the Lost here in Auradon. They don't belong here. I never imagined for a second that Mal would steal Ben from me. I only agreed to be friends with her and the other VKs in the aftermath of Ben's coronation because I knew I could use it to get them kicked out of Auradon. I want them to pay for ruining my life."

"As in the rumor you and Chad started the week after Ben's coronation," Gia said. "I spoke to your parents and Chad's mother about it and Cinderella wasn't happy. Your parents refused to believe that you would start such a nasty rumor." She then turned to Mal. "Mal, were you trying to ruin Audrey's life?"

"What? No! I never intentionally wanted to steal Ben from her. It just happened. Anyway, I don't think it's fair that she judges me because my mother cursed her mother. Besides, why am I not being punished?"

Gia eyed her for a moment before she turned back to Audrey. "Your deception has gone too far."

Audrey scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I was only revealing to people what they should have seen all along. Besides, all that happened like last year. Why dwell on it now? And how do you know about what happened at the coronation? You weren't even there."

"I have been updated on everything that happened at the coronation and to answer your _first_ question, your actions affect your grades. Because you have finally admitted to helping Chad spread that rumor and the fact that you were plotting to have your rival kicked out of Auradon a second time, you must be punished."

Audrey stared at Gia in disbelief. "You can't do that!" she yelled.

"I can and I will. _I'm_ deputy headmistress and I will punish you as I see fit. You, Audrey are banned from cheerleading for eight weeks and your study sessions will be moved to a different timeslot where you aren't in the same room as Doug and Lonnie. You are also banned from _any_ other extracurricular activities and that includes spectating on Tourney matches. I cannot have you meddling with anyone, especially Ben."

Audrey looked ready to cry but she kept a straight face. "What about Mal? Why isn't she being punished?"

"Because she did nothing wrong."

"She barged over to me and tried to attack me!" Audrey protested, pointing at Mal.

Gia turned to Mal. "Was that your intended purpose?"

"No," Mal sounded offended. "I confronted her about the protest. It's not like I punched or hurt her."

"Issuing threats isn't actually a crime. If the threat was physical it would be a crime and therefore punishable. Since Mal only verbally threatened you, she will not be punished."

"I guess you can kiss your perfect record goodbye." Mal muttered.

Audrey burst into tears.

"Your parents will be notified, Audrey and your punishment will start Monday. You both may go."

Mal gave Gia a thankful nod before rising from her chair and heading out the door.

Audrey remained in her seat longer then necessary before she too rose from her chair and left the office.

Gia crossed her arms as she listened to Audrey's sobs and retreating footsteps.

* * *

" _You did the right thing, Gia."_ Fairy Godmother said gently.

"Then why don't I feel the pride?"

After dismissing Audrey and Mal from her office, Gia had made the five-second trip next door to Fairy Godmother's office to tell her what she had done. While she knew she had done the right thing, she had just wanted to make sure that she had the right to punish Audrey.

"It's only natural to feel that way. I remember the first time I punished someone, it made me feel physically ill but then again, I was pregnant with Jane at the time."

"But _I'm_ not pregnant," Gia said. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You handled the Mal and Audrey situation with great skill, considering this was your first time punishing anyone as a headmistress."

"But I'm NOT headmistress! You are! I'm only _deputy_ headmistress. I don't run Auradon Prep like you do."

Fairy Godmother sighed. "You have the making of a headmistress, my dear. You could one day take my place but that's not important at the moment. You did what you thought was right when it came to punishing Audrey. That took courage. Actually, there is something I need your help with."

Gia blinked. "What?"

"You were one of Auradon Prep's finest cheerleaders when you were here."

"What does that have to do with Audrey and her punishment?" Gia asked.

"Since Audrey is the captain of the cheerleading team, they are without a lead choreographer and I was hoping you could step in until Audrey's suspension is over."

Gia grinned. "I'd love to."

* * *

The weekend passed and before anyone else knew, it was Monday.

Mal made her way down to the Tourney Field. Ben hadn't been at breakfast and she knew the one place he'd be if he wasn't with their group or in the library. He'd be on the Tourney field.

" _Damn it Ben!"_

" _Let's try that lift again."_

" _Ow! Are you trying to kill me?"_

Mal stepped closer to the field.

" _I said I was sorry."_

" _Not good enough, Benjamin."_

" _Quit calling me that."_

" _It's your name. Lift me higher!"_

" _I'm trying! I can only lift you so high!"_

Mal emerged out onto the field to find Ben holding Gia by her feet over his head. She noticed that Gia's feet were bandaged. "What's going on here?" she asked.

Ben felt his arms shake as he struggled to hold Gia upright. "Hi!" he said. He looked up at Gia. "Catch time." He let her go, holding out his arms, he caught her and set her down on her feet.

"Not exactly the best landing I've ever had." Gia said. She noticed Mal watching her with amusement. "Hey Mal."

"Hey. What was all that?"

"I thought you told her." Gia said to Ben.

Ben shook his head.

"Tell me what?" Mal asked.

"I use to be a cheerleader," Gia watched as Mal raised an eyebrow. "Once upon a time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's true," Ben said. "Gia was cheerleading captain before Audrey."

"I never would have imagined." Mal said, still in awe.

"Oh, yeah. She's a born performer." Ben said.

"I noticed that last year. So what were you doing?"

"Since I had to suspend Audrey from extracurricular activities after what happened Friday night, Fairy Godmother asked me to take over the cheer squad for a bit."

"And why is Ben here?" Mal asked pointing a finger at her boyfriend.

"I volunteered to help her prep for this afternoon's practice."

"I am _so_ glad I quit the squad." Mal muttered.

"I heard about your short lived cheer career. I know exactly how you feel." Gia said.

Ben snorted. "No you don't. You were a cheerleader for four years."

"And then I had to leave."

"Graduation, G." Ben rolled his eyes.

Gia waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. Point is, I'm in charge of the cheer squad until Audrey's suspension is over. Did Evie end up staying on?"

"She lasted longer then I did. She was on the team for a couple of months before she decided cheerleading wasn't for her." Mal screwed up her nose at the thought. "We were just in it for the cute uniform."

"Damn. I thought it would have something to do with your boyfriend being the captain of the Tourney team." Gia shot Ben with a meaningful look and Mal followed suit.

Mal groaned. "What is it with the cliché that cheerleaders have to date jocks? It's overrated."

"That is exactly what I thought," Gia exclaimed in agreement. "I hated the whole princesses must date and marry princes thing too. I am _so_ glad I wasn't born into a royal family," she looked to Ben. "No offense."

"You were adopted into one." Ben frowned, his arms now crossed over his chest.

"That's a little bit different." Gia dismissed.

Ben went to open his mouth but closed it when he couldn't come up with a good comeback.

"Hey, question, G," Mal said. Gia lifted her chin to indicate she was listening. "Why are your feet bandaged? Did you hurt them or something?"

Gia chuckled. "No, no. Nothing like that. My feet aren't actually bandaged. They're wrapped to help prevent blisters and bone fractures. I don't do ballet but I find it helps with I dance barefoot."

"Like when you perform in heels." Ben said.

"Exactly."

"Wish I had the same amount of dance skills you do." Mal said in admiration.

Gia offered her a kind smile. "It takes years and years of practice. I'm still learning, even now."

"What else can you do that I don't yet know about?" Mal wondered aloud.

"Gia was also track champion three years running." Ben said proudly wrapping an arm around Gia's shoulders.

"You? A track champion?"

"Yep. Sophomore year, Junior year, and Senior year. Ben had to encourage me to join the track team in Sophomore year."

"Why _did_ you join the track team?" Mal asked.

"When Ben and I were growing up we use to race each other across Belle's garden. I use to win ninety-eight percent of the time."

Ben scoffed. "You use to cheat half the time."

Gia scoffed. She was openly offended. "I did NOT!"

The bell sounded causing the trio to look towards the school.

"Catch me if you can!" Gia called as she took off towards the opposite end of the field.

Ben bolted after her with Mal not far behind him.

Gia's squeals of laughter were followed only by Ben and Mal's as they ran across the damp grass of the field.

Ben closed in, reaching out to grab Gia by the waist.

Mal backed up a bit so that she didn't run into Ben.

Gia squealed with glee as Ben pulled her to the ground with him.

Mal thought the wind had been knocked from her lungs as when she felt a sharp tug at her arm. She felt herself falling before she found herself half-sitting, half-laying beside Ben. What she thought was odd was that she was laughing.

Ben was also half-sitting half-laying on the wet grass, tickling a laughing Gia.

"Ben, stop!" Gia cried through her fit of laughter.

Ben only stopped his tickling attack when he found Gia was gasping for breath.

A second bell rang indicating that there was only half an hour before classes started for the day.

Ben pulled himself to his feet. He offered his hands to Mal and Gia and pulled them to their feet.

"We'd better get back to campus," Gia said. She turned her gaze on Mal. "You, Miss Mal had better get your butt up to Evie. She'll have a fit when she sees those grass stains."

Mal looked down at her jeans to find that there were green stains in various places. She knew Evie was going to kill her but hey, she had had fun with her boyfriend. Wasn't that what mattered? "You're right."

Gia nodded. "Your first class today is with me so I would hurry up."

Mal nodded and turned to leave the field. "See you there!" she called.

"And you, Your Highness," Gia said, causing Ben to turn and look at her. "Fairy Godmother wants to see you."

"Why?" Ben asked, almost nervously.

"I have no idea." Gia said with a shake of her head. She eyed him for a moment before snapping her fingers. His white t-shirt and track pants changed into his signature harem pants and striped shirt without his plaid patterned jacket. "Much better. Now, get going before I have to kick you to the Isle of the Lost."

Ben held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay I'm going." He turned and headed in the same direction Mal had gone.

* * *

Mal arrived back at her dorm room just as Evie was stuffing her _History_ of _Fashion_ textbook into her backpack.

"There you are!" Evie exclaimed as Mal closed to the door to their room. "I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you."

"I went to find Ben. Is that okay with you?" Mal said.

"Did you find him?" Evie asked, ignoring her best friend's accusatory question.

"Yeah, he was on the Tourney field with Gia."

"Why?" Evie asked.

"He was helping her choreograph a cheer routine."

Evie frowned. "A cheer routine?"

"I thought it was weird at first too. Turns out, Gia use to be a cheerleader."

"No," Evie said in surprise. "Really? I never would have guessed with her superb dance skills."

Mal screwed up her nose. "Yeah, she had to suspend Audrey from cheerleading for a while after what happened on Friday night."

"Ouch." Evie said. She looked at the state of Mal's clothes. "What happened when you were on the Tourney field? Did you, Ben and Gia get into a paint fight or something?"

Mal looked down at her clothing. "Ah, no, we were just mucking about."

"Ah-huh, grass stains. Get out of those and I'll soak them." Evie said.

To Mal's surprise, Evie didn't seem pissed that her clothing was stained.

Suddenly the bluenette's eyes widened and she dropped her backpack. "Oh, god." She groaned.

"What?" Mal asked.

"Do you know what tomorrow is?"

Mal's eyes darted from Evie to the date on her digital clock. "Ah, Tuesday?"

"It's Academics Day tomorrow. Doug's dad and uncles are coming."

Mal looked at her blankly.

Evie groaned. "Remember the text I got from Doug over the summer?"

Something suddenly clicked in Mal's mind. "Yeah."

"Well, he mentioned that Academics' Day is a couple of weeks into the new school year but I didn't realise it was tomorrow." Evie started to pace and panic. "I need to make a new outfit and I only have a few hours to do to do. Oh god! Oh god!"

Mal watched as Evie paced for a moment. She hated seeing Evie worked up and made an attempt to comfort her. "E, calm down. You can work something out later today, but I need these soaked and we have magic class really soon."

For the next few minutes the girls scrambled around their room, getting ready.

Mal jumped in the shower to cleanse herself of the smell of grass and dirt.

Evie quickly grabbed a bucket and soaked Mal's grass-stained clothes before grabbing her design sketchbook and jotting down a quick design for the outfit she was going to start making that afternoon.

Mal got out of the shower and changed into jean shorts and a purple tank top. She allowed Evie to quickly do her hair but told her they didn't have time to do makeup.

Once they were done, the girls left their dorm and headed straight for Gia's classroom.

* * *

Ben arrived at Fairy Godmother's office with just seconds to spare. He hated being late for anything. He felt like Alice's friend from Wonderland, the White Rabbit.

"Ah, Ben." Fairy Godmother said as she looked up from her paperwork. "Just in time."

"Gia said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. I suspect you already know about Audrey's punishment for what happened on Friday night?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah, Gia told me. Is that the reason you summoned me here?"

"Yes, it is. I wanted to tell you that Gia did a fantastic job at handling the situation."

"I knew she'd do a good job at being deputy headmistress." Ben beamed. His smile fell when he caught the look on Fairy Godmother's face. "Is there more to this then what you're telling me?"

"No, no. I just wanted to keep you informed about Gia's progress," Fairy Godmother shifted slightly from foot to foot under her desk. She held a firm expression when she caught Ben's hard glare. "How was cheerleading practice?" she crossed her arms, joking with the young king.

"I'm glad I'm not a member of the cheer squad. It's harder work then what I'm use to. You should be glad to have recruited Gia for the task."

"Don't get me wrong I am relieved that we have her on staff."

"Then what's the problem?" Ben said, beginning to feel uneasy.

"I never said there was a problem." Fairy Godmother said, starting to get defensive.

"Fairy Godmother," Ben said as he drew himself up to his full height. "I have known you since I was a child. You are also a friend of my parents. Don't start lying to me now."

Fairy Godmother sighed. Ben was right. She was a friend to Belle and Adam and she knew she couldn't lie to Ben. "You're right, Ben. I just think that Gia being involved with Mal's war of words with Audrey is getting too personal for her and for you." Ben was about to protest and Fairy Godmother stopped him. "I know Mal is your girlfriend and Audrey is your ex but you have to let them fight it out themselves."

Ben's jaw dropped. "You cannot be serious."

"Ben, I know you want to help but this is a battle Mal and Audrey will have to sort out on their own terms."

Ben threw up his hands and stalked out of the office.

Fairy Godmother sighed as her office door slammed shut.

* * *

"Good morning everyone," Gia greeted her students as she shut her classroom door. "I hope you all had a good weekend. Can anyone tell me what I told you our first topic would be?" she looked around to see a dozen hands in the air. She picked one at random. "Jordan?"

"Shapeshifting basics." Jordan beamed.

"Correct." As Gia went to open her mouth a second time, a knock came at the door. "Hold that thought." She held up a finger and went to the door. Opening it, she was surprised when she found Ben looking incredibly disgruntled. "Ben."

"Can I talk to you?"

The class had gone silent.

Gia looked to her class before looking back at Ben. "Sure." She turned back to her class. "I'll be back in a moment." She headed out of the room, closing the door behind her as she went.

Ben backed up as Gia exited her classroom.

"What's up?" Gia asked.

"I just spoke to Fairy Godmother." Ben said.

"Ah, yeah," Gia said, unsure of where this was headed. "So?"

"She wants us to butt out of Mal's war with Audrey."

Gia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I had a feeling she might."

Ben looked at her in disbelief. "Seriously? You _knew_ she was going to tell us to butt out?"

"I _said_ I thought. I _never_ said I knew."

As frustrating as it was for him, Ben knew better then to give in to the rage that was now swelling in his gut. He didn't have a temper like his father did or least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Ben, honey. Perhaps FG's right. We need to let Mal and Audrey sort this out between them. We can't intervene no matter how much we may want to."

Ben clenched his fists. "Alright, alright," he said uncurling his hands and raising them in defeat. "You're right. I just can't shake this weird feeling that I have."

"What weird feeling?" Gia questioned.

"I keep getting this vibe that something bad's going to happen."

Gia clenched her jaw. Ben had every right to be worried. Audrey had done some pretty awful things since his coronation. The pair knew Audrey still couldn't get over what Mal had done to break her and Ben up. Audrey still wanted payback and she was using Chad to help her. "All I can suggest right now is keep an eye out."

"That's not exactly helpful." Ben said.

"I know but be wary even on the Tourney field."

Ben frowned at that. Why would Gia say that? He didn't want to know and nor did he want to find out. "Fine. I'll keep an eye out."

Gia nodded. "Are we done here? I need to get back to my class."

Ben gestured to the door. "Be my guest. I have to get to study hall anyway."

"Do you need a note?"

"That might be handy."

"I'll write you one. Wait here."

* * *

After Gia had written Ben a late note, he had gone to study hall, not exactly happy but not exactly upset either. Honestly, he didn't know how to feel. He was worried about the impact the whole Mal vs. Audrey war of words was going to impact on everyone.

Sure, Mal's mother had tried to kill Audrey's mother by putting her under a one hundred year sleeping curse but Mal had nothing to do with that. She hadn't even been born but then again, neither had Audrey. Then there was the whole ' _Mal put Ben under a love spell'_ thing.

Ben had known about the spell the moment it had washed off in the Enchanted Lake on his first date with Mal. He knew that Audrey was always going to hold a grudge. Mal had told him after the coronation that she hadn't intended to fall in love with him and that it had just happened. He had told her that he'd had a crush on her the moment he'd seen her in the dream he'd had a couple of months before he was crowned and that his feelings for her were real and not some side effect of the spell.

Audrey on the other hand, hadn't been too happy that Mal had 'stolen' her man. Even after she had temporarily gotten her wish of having the VKs sent back to the Isle of the Lost, Audrey had bragged about her revenge on Mal being sweet.

It had taken all of Ben's willpower not to have Audrey expelled from Auradon Prep and sent to the Isle of the Lost. He knew of course, that it would have been a bit of a stretch to do that but no one messed with Mal. No one.

Yes, Mal could handle herself but Ben had seen another side to his new girlfriend that other people, including Evie, Jay and Carlos, hadn't seen. She had told him things the others didn't know.

She had told him what it was like growing up with an all-evil mother. Sure, _all_ the parents on the Isle of the Lost were evil but Maleficent was, as Adam had so rightly put it, the worst villain in the land. Mal had told him of the constant leadership battle between her mother and Evil Queen. She had even told him about Evie being forced to undertake castle-school after she had failed to invite Mal to her birthday parties as a child. The punishment had been inflicted on the girl, as well as her mother, as Maleficent had seen Evie and Evil Queen as a threat to her and Mal.

Ben suspected Jay might have known a little bit about it seeing as he and Mal had been partners-in-crime while on the island together. Jafar's son had never mentioned it but it had simply been implied.

Entering the library, Ben handed the librarian the note from Gia and went and grabbed the only empty seat in the back of the room and put his bag down. He pulled out his study notes from Friday and set to work, his mind temporarily going into student mode.

* * *

After her conversation with Ben, Gia had re-entered the room after giving him his late note feeling a little stressed. Ben had made a valid point. The whole Mal versus Audrey war was going to spiral out of control at some point. She knew as well as Ben did that Audrey was out to destroy Mal and her friends and the spiteful princess didn't care how many people got hurt in the process.

" _Gia?"_

The Lady of Auradon's head snapped to attention to find Evie watching her. She looked around to see the rest of the class working in their chosen pairs. She looked over at Jay who was working with Jordan and Mal was working on something. She was paired with Evie.

Gia cleared her throat. "Yes, Evie?"

"Is everything okay?"

Mal's head snapped up from what she was doing.

"Yes," Gia said. "Everything's fine."

Evie nodded, though she knew otherwise. She turned back and started to work again.

For ten long minutes, Mal couldn't help but look up every now and then at Gia. She could see that Gia was distracted. It was clear that Gia's conversation with Ben had rattled her. Sighing, Mal found herself rising to her feet and going over to the teacher.

Gia's head snapped up when she heard Mal's footsteps. "Mal."

"Is everything okay?" Mal asked straight out.

Gia nodded.

Mal clenched her jaw and raised an eyebrow. "I think there's more to it."

"Mal." Evie said from her desk.

Mal looked over her shoulder to find Evie watching her. She turned back to face their teacher.

"I will tell you later," Gia said sternly yet in a kind tone. "I promise."

Mal was hesitant but stood up nonetheless. "Can you show us how to shapeshift instead of giving us theory work on the subject?"

Gia grinned. "Of course." She pushed back her seat and stood up, facing Mal.

Mal beamed before going back to her seat.

"Okay, everyone, listen up," Gia rubbed her hands together. "Put away your theory work. We're going to be concentrating on the practical components of shapeshifting."

There was murmuring followed by a few looks exchanged by a few of the students.

"Do you think we're ready for shapeshifting?" Jordan questioned.

"If I didn't think you lot were ready, I wouldn't have spoken aloud." For a moment, Gia's eyes shifted to Mal who issued a small smile in response.

Jordan considered the teacher's words for a moment before nodding.

"Alright," Gia rubbed her hands together. "You saw what I did on Friday. I changed into Maleficent."

Mal and Evie exchanged looks.

"Shifting into another person's form is quite difficult, especially if the form you're taking on isn't blood related." Gia looked around to see a few looks of confusion. "Okay, an example might be best. When I was eight years old and I accidentally shifted into Ben's mom."

"You changed into Belle?" Mal frowned. "But you just said-"

Gia waved a hand dismissively, cutting her off. "I know what I said. It was an accident. Plus at the time I had no control over my magic. It was after this… incident that Beast decided it was time that I learn to use my magic. Let's just say, me shifting into my foster mother scared the living daylights out of my dear foster father."

Evie raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Evie?"

"What happened?"

Gia allowed her the corners of her mouth to twitch. "He took me to Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, Aurora's fairy friends and had them teach me. After about six months, I conquered shapeshifting."

Jane raised her hand.

"Jane." Gia nodded at her.

"How is that possible? According to my mom, shapeshifting takes years of practice to perfect."

"Indeed it does but I am an incredibly quick learner. What normally takes most people say, years to master only takes me a few months to learn. A few weeks at best."

"Accelerated learning," Mal said, remembering something her mother had once mentioned. Her eyes widened when almost all the class' eyes settled on her. "If there was one thing good my mother unintentionally taught me, it was that magic can be learnt quickly. Hence," she gestured with a hand at the teacher. "Accelerated learning."

Gia beamed. "If this was an exam, you'd get full marks, Mal."

Mal grinned in response.

"Accelerated learning," Gia said. "Can either be a blessing or a curse. It depends on the individual. With me, it is a blessing. Without it, I wouldn't be able to serve as Ben's advisor."

Jay raised an impatient hand. "Can we shapeshift now?"

"I think we can manage that."

For the remainder of the lesson, Gia taught her class how to change into their parents.

A number of students who had been born with magic (ie. Mal and Jordan) were able to shift after only a couple of tries while many of the non-magical born students, (ie. Evie and Jay) had to use other alternatives to shift into their parents.

Evie used her poison apple necklace as a vessel to help her changed into her mother. It took her a good dozen tries until she was able to completely change her form.

Jay, on the other hand, had the most difficulty. He had chosen an old bracelet he had stolen from his father before he had left the Isle of the Lost.

Gia watched from her desk as her secret boyfriend struggled. She watched as Mal, who had successfully transformed herself into her mother and back again a half dozen times, went over to help her friend out.

"You look like you're struggling."

Jay cast her a frustrated look. "You think? My dad could shapeshift with a snap of his fingers. He transformed himself into Jasmine to trick Aladdin." He sighed. "Why are you so good at this?"

Mal shrugged. "I didn't think I was. After all, the only shapeshifting my mother ever did was change into a murderous fire-breathing dragon. Look at where that got her."

Jay knew she was referring to Maleficent being killed by Philip before being revived and thrown onto the Isle of the Lost. He could only nod. "You're much more powerful then your mother ever has been."

Gia grinned when she caught the ghost of a smile appear on Mal's face. Jay was still becoming accustomed with being nice.

"Thanks Jay. That's _real_ nice of you."

From where she was standing, Evie had to stifle a bout of laughter.

"No problem." Jay frowned.

A moment of silence fell. A moment later, the bell rang before Mal could open her mouth to say anything else.

"Okay, guys," Gia called as her class rose and gathered their things. "We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Remember to practice shifting form for homework. I know it's a bit of a stretch seeing as your next class is tomorrow but I know you all can do it."

The class filed out of the room with Jay being the last to leave.

* * *

" _It's not fair!"_ Jay vented to Ben and Carlos that afternoon at Tourney practice. "I couldn't even prefect changing into my father and I'm expected to practice?"

Ben and Carlos looked at each other.

"According to Mal, Jane couldn't change into her mother either." Carlos said, recalling what Mal and Evie had told the boys at lunch. Jay had rolled his eyes seeing as he had been in the classroom at the same time as the girls.

Jane, who had been present, had fretted that she'd _never_ be able to master shapeshifting.

Evie had gently told her that shapeshifting wasn't for everyone. She had even told Fairy Godmother's daughter that she wasn't all that hyped about shapeshifting as it made her uncomfortable.

Jane had still looked terrified but she felt a little relief from Evie's words.

"Dude," Carlos said to Jay, snapping his best friend out of his lunchtime memory. "We aren't on the island anymore. You don't need to show your dad what you're made of."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Carlos has a point, Jay. You don't need to prove yourself to your father anymore."

Jay brightened a little. Maybe Ben and Carlos were right. Who cared if he couldn't shapeshift like his father had been able to? He didn't need magical powers to show people what he was made of.

"You're already a star Tourney player," Ben continued. "You don't need magic like Mal or like your dad to show people what you can do."

Jay found that he didn't mind having both his friends say the same piece of advice. It only him made him more willing to do what _he_ thought was right.

" _Ben! Jay! Carlos! Get down here!"_ Coach Jenkins called from the field.

The boys rose and headed for the field.

* * *

Evie and Mal sat in their dorm room on the floor going over their magic homework.

Mal had been able to change into her mother three times without exhausting herself.

Evie had only been to change herself into her mother once. "I don't know how you do it." The bluenette sighed as she flopped down on the floor.

"It's called magical genes, E." Mal said half-heartedly as she scribbled something down on her worksheet that Gia had handed out at the beginning of the lesson.

Evie sighed again before getting up and going over to her bed to grab her sketchbook. She went back to where she had been sitting before and opened her sketchbook and showed Mal what she had been working on for Academics Day. You like?"

"Cute," Mal nodded as she put her worksheet back into her homework folder. "It if was me though, I would leave out of the sparkle. You're going to be meeting Doug's dad and uncles tomorrow. You don't want to blind the guys."

Evie examined her sketch and nodded. "You're right. I'll leave off _most_ of the sparkle."

Mal raised her head against her bed frame. She closed her eyes and envisioned she was in any place but her dorm room. She wished she was with Ben at this moment but he had texted her earlier telling her that he had Tourney practice with Jay and Carlos. He had also mentioned Jay had vented to him and Carlos that he hated being a shapeshifting failure.

" _M?"_

Mal snapped out of her dream-daze and opened her eyes. Evie was watching her.

"Hmm?"

"I need your opinion."

"On what?"

Evie held up two different sheets of blue material. "Which one says 'Evie loves Doug'?"

Mal looked at Evie in disbelief. "Really? You really think material is going to get Doug's dad and uncles to change their mind about you and your mom?"

"I'm hoping." Evie grinned sheepishly.

Mal groaned and pointed to the material on the left.

Evie let out an excited squeak before going about grabbing a white fabric pencil.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Evie and Mal looked at each other.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Evie asked.

"No. Were you?" Mal shook her head.

Evie frowned.

Mal jumped to her feet and went to open the door. What she found was surprising.

"Hi!" exclaimed Ben, Jay and Carlos.

Mal stepped back, allowing the boys into the room.

They were covered dirt and grass with their Tourney uniforms covered in grass stains.

Evie let out a startled shriek when she saw the boys. "What happened to you three?"

Mal closed the door after Carlos had stepped into the room.

"Slinging match." Jay answered with a shrug.

Mal crossed her arms and examined her filthy looking boyfriend and pseudo-brothers before looking over at Evie who looked about ready to cry at the mess before her.

Evie had always been a clean freak even when they had been back on the Isle of the Lost.

"What do you mean 'slinging match'?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

The boys looked at each other, all of them scratching the backs of their necks.

"Guys." Evie said sternly. "Out with it."

The boys jumped at the sound of sternness in Evie's voice. Normally, Evie was the one who didn't get involved in conflict. When it came to the boys however, Evie could be just as scary as Mal.

"We may or may not have gotten into a disagreement with Chad." Ben admitted sheepishly.

Mal's eyes widened. "Ben!" she exclaimed.

"Don't blame him," Jay cut in. Mal's gaze shot to him. "It was half my fault."

Ben's face fell.

"How was it your fault?" Evie asked.

"I kinda hit him when he insulted Ben and Carlos." Jay said.

"And I jumped in to pull them apart." Ben put in.

Evie and Mal looked at each other. They turned to Carlos who cringed when he looked at them.

"Where were you when all this was going down?"

Carlos paled. "I was cowering behind the coach." He squeaked.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The group grabbed their phones to see whose was ringing.

"It's me." Ben said. His expression fell when he saw who was ringing. "G?" he said as he answered the call.

The others watched intently as Ben listened to what Gia was saying on the other end of the line.

"Yes, I know I screwed up."

Mal couldn't decide whether she wanted to cringe or smile. As much as she enjoyed being good, she couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Ben for being told off by his foster sister for getting involved in a fight with Chad.

Ben sighed and disconnected the call, presumably hanging up in Gia's ear. "Sorry. Gia's on the war path."

"I bet she is." Mal said. "What did she say?"

"She said my mom and dad weren't happy with me and that I'd better make up for it."

"Does Fairy Godmother know about this?" Evie asked.

"She was there." Jay said. "She witnessed the whole thing."

"Well, I guess that narrows it down." Mal muttered to Evie.

"How could you guys be so stupid? You three know that getting into fights doesn't solve anything." Evie scolded of the boys. "I wouldn't be surprised if Fairy Godmother punishes you all."

The trio bowed their heads in shame. If there was one thing they hated it was disappointing the girls.

"It won't happen again," Carlos said quickly. "We promise."

Jay and Ben kept their heads down and nodded.

Evie and Mal looked at each other, unsure of whether they should believe them. They accepted it, knowing that no magic could undo the blessing of having these three knuckleheads in their lives.

* * *

 _So the boys got into trouble and Audrey's in deep do-do. A side note about Gia's wrapped feet. I had to Google that fact because I'm not a dancer but I have a couple of friends and a cousin that are and I thought it would be best to add some outside world information instead of making something up. You will have noticed that I added in Anxelin, Rapunzel's daughter that appears in the webseries School of Secrets and Ruby, who's hair appears in the shorts web series Wicked World. While Anxelin wasn't in the film and hasn't (so we think) been included in Wicked World, there has been nothing to indicate whether Ruby is Anxelin renamed or her sister. Anything's possible as there has been nothing said as to if the character has been erased from the franchise.  
_

 _So, next chapter we have Academics Day, Evie meets Doug's family and Gia, Carlos and Dude perform a showstopping performance. We will also get an insight into Jordan's relationship with her father, Aladdin and Jasmine and Aziz (Aladdin and Jasmine's son who was deleted from the film) makes an appearance._

To be Continued...


	8. Academics Day

**A/N:** _Hi all. I am so sorry this has taken a while to get up. Life's been tough lately. Anyway, this is the last of the chapters that I wrote in advance. as for next chapter, the chapters will come much slower. I am STILL writing chapter 9 but I can say it is getting there. I have another story I'm working on for another fandom so that's also a massive focus for me at the moment, along with getting my business fully operational. I would like to address some of the reviews I have been getting. I have been getting reviews saying 'PLEASE UPDATE!' FYI, people, I have a life. I don't spend all my time writing fanfiction. I am actually trying to get a job so I can get money. I'm 22. I put all my study ahead of me getting a job and my drivers licence which I now have as a Provisional 1 licence. According to most employees, I have 'no experience'. I am trying so damn hard to get a job and I don't need pushy 'readers' saying 'PLEASE UPDATE!' I love all of you, but please don't pressure me. The more you push me, the longer the wait will be. I said from the beginning to be patient. I know a lot of people don't read the author's notes but I don't care. Don't pressure please!_

 _Okay, rant over. This chapter introduces Doug's family. We don't get to meet his sisters just yet but we get to meet his parents, a couple of his uncles and one of his MANY cousins. Genie makes his first appearance as does, Aladdin, Jasmine and Shang. Mushu and Cri-Kee reappear with Mulan. Audrey's parents are indirectly mentioned in this chapter and the best part about this chapter is that there is a musical number. The song I used was Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up) by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy. It's a fun song with a lot of bounce. Check it out. All the songs that either mentioned in this story form a playlist so be sure to record all the songs as you continue to read. I did make reference to Let It Go during the 'Summer' chapter a while back. It's the Idina Menzel version. The Demi Lovato version pops up later. There is also an AK OC in this chapter. His name's Pip, son of Peter Pan. I just realised that I pulled a Lord of the Rings and named him after Pippin.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Academics Day**

* * *

Evie and Mal's lecturing of Jay, Ben and Carlos had worn them out. After they had had sent the boys back to their dorms, they had gotten dressed for bed and fallen asleep almost immediately.

Mal awoke at the same time as she did every morning,: at 7am. She showered and dressed before checking the clock: 7:15am. She thought she should let Evie sleep but she knew her best friend Evie would want to be ready so they could join the boys for breakfast before the events of Academics Day kicked off.

It was a relief that Chad wasn't going to be at Academics Day. He hadn't gotten high marks in any of his subjects and he was on the verge of an in-school suspension, which of course wasn't going to do down well with Charming.

Mal had gotten high marks in Art class while Evie had gotten top marks in both Fashion Design and Chemistry. Carlos had gotten high marks in Animal Care while Jay was at the top of his Gym class.

Walking over to Evie's bed, Mal gently shook her awake. "E, wakey wakey."

Evie jolted awake with a yelp. "What time is it?"

"7:20." Mal answered.

Evie squeaked in alarm and jumped out of bed. She, grabbed her already laid out clothes from her desk chair and bolted for the bathroom.

Just as the shower could be heard being switched on, there was a knock on the door.

Mal went and opened it to find Ben and Carlos outside.

"Morning." The boys said cheerfully.

Mal grinned, having forgiven them for what had happened the day before with Chad.

"Where's Jay?" Mal asked as Ben and Carlos filed into the room.

"Coach called him down to the field this morning," Carlos said as Ben closed the door. "Something about retrieving his Tourney stick from the cannon after yesterday's incident."

Mal looked atto Ben who shrugged. Apparently the news was new to him too. "How did his Tourney stick end up in the cannon?"

"No idea." Ben said. "Like we said yesterday, it happened so fast."

Mal raised an eyebrow but before she could say anything, Evie exited the bathroom.

"Hey Evie." Carlos said.

"Hey guys," she looked around. "Where's Jay?"

"Something about the cannon and his Tourney Stick." Mal told her as she watched Evie head for their shared makeup she followed her eyes to the makeup vanity they shared.

"Doesn't surprise me." Evie said as she tossed Mal a tube of lip-gloss. "After everything Chad has done it was was bound to come unraveled at some point."

"And what does this have to do with Jay?" Ben asked.

Evie threw him a distasteful look over her shoulder. "Jay was obviously trying to protect Carlos from getting hurt but he went about it the wrong way which is how you got involved, right Ben?"

"Ah, yeah. Correct on all accounts." Ben said.

A moment later a panting and clearly exhausted Jay opened the dorm door.

"About time you got here." Mal teased.

"Ha-ha." Jay said dryly. "So, who's ready for Academics Day?"

"Not me!" Evie called from the vanity.

Everybody turned to look at her.

"Why aren't you looking forward to today?" Carlos asked, almost reluctantly.

"I know Doug's dad and uncles will hate me because of what my mom tried to do to Snow White."

Ben and Mal looked at each other before going over to comfort their distraught friend.

"Dopey and the dwarfs are going to love you, Ev." Ben said, resting a hand on Evie's shoulder.

Ben looked over at Mal who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, E. Dopey and the dwarfs are going to be _thrilled_ to meet you despite the misgivings between them and your mom."

Evie looked up at her friends and nodded before rising from her stool. Mal and Ben reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thanks you guys." Evie whispered.

Mal and Ben tightened their hold on her for a moment before they pulled back.

Jay and Carlos followed example and hugged Evie.

"You guys are the greatest friends I could ever have." Evie said as Jay and Carlos stepped back to join Ben and Mal. "I don't know where I'd be without you all."

"You can thank us by getting to know Doug's family," Ben smiled. "I've grown up with Doug and his dad and uncles areisn't as bad as you might think."

"But what about the warnings letters Dopey and his uncles wrote togave Doug?" Evie asked. "They were practically keeping surveillance on everything Doug and I do."

"Dopey and his brothers were just being protective. They've had to be since Snow nearly died at your mother's hand." Ben said sympathetically.

"But they have no reason to fear me. I'm _not_ her."

"Today you will be able to prove that to them." Mal said with a smile. "If I could prove to Belle and Adam that I'm not my mom then you can do the same with the dwarfs."

Evie smiled, her anxiety over what was to come had sudden vanished.

"Come on," Ben said. "Let's get breakfast."

* * *

The parents and guardians of the students started to assemble in the Cathedral Courtyard. The teachers hadn't arrived yet and nor had most of the academic students.

" _Don't be so anxious,"_ Gia said as she led Belle and Adam down the steps into the main part of the courtyard. "What happened here before Ben's coronation wasn't your fault, Adam. Remember that."

"Feels like my fault," Adam grumbled. "If I hadn't of been so against have Mal and her friends being here then it wouldn't have happened."

Gia had been filled in on to what had happened during Family Day the year before.

Belle looked at her husband sympathetically. "Gia's right, dear," she said compassionately. "I think everyone had the same thought about the VKs. Most were accepting but there were those who weren't." Belle didn't have list whom wasn't accepting of their son's girlfriend and her VK friends.

Adam looked at his wife before his gaze turned to his foster daughter. "Sorry, darling. It's just being here so soon after what happened, makes my skin crawl."

Belle and Gia looked at each other.

"Dear, it was over six months ago. We know we haven't been here since then but the past is past. Forgive forget."

Gia straightened and looked at her foster mother with wide eyes. "Belle?"

"Yes, dear?"

"That sounds like something the VKs would say."

"What? 'Forgive forget?'" Gia nodded. Belle thought for a moment and shrugged.

Adam snorted with amusement. "Mal and her friends are rubbing off on you, darling."

Belle went to protest when she heard their son's voice.

" _Mom. Dad. G."_

Sure enough, Ben was walking their way, hand-in-hand with Mal.

"Darling." Belle said with a smile as she stepped away from her husband and foster daughter to hug Ben. "Good to see you, Mal, dear." The former queen said with a warm smile as she pulled out of her and Ben's hug.

"Hi Belle. Good to see you." Mal beamed as she felt Ben squeeze her hand. She then turned to Gia. "Gia." She bowed her head. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with the staff when they got here."

"I'm not a teacher today," Gia said modestly. "Today, I am merely Ben's big sister."

Ben rolled his eyes as he briefly let go of Mal's hand and went to hug his foster sister.

"Not very kingly, Ben." Gia scolded playfully.

Ben chuckled as he pulled out of the embrace. "Seems like forever."

Gia gave him a look of disbelief. "We spoke on Friday after school. That wasn't all that long ago."

Mal struggled to keep a straight face. If there was one thing she loved more then anything, it was listening to Ben and Gia squabble. It was like being back on the Isle of the Lost where she would constantly have to listen to Maleficent squabble with the other villains.

" _Hi all!"_

Mal and the royal family turned to see Evie strutting towards them.

"Evie." Adam said with a smile. "How are you, dear?"

"Fine thanks." Evie responded with grace.

" _Evie!"_

Doug appeared and jogged towards them.

"Hey Doug." Ben greeted.

"Hey Ben." The half-dwarf turned to the others. "Mal. Gia. Belle. Adam."

The others waved.

Doug turned to Evie. "Ready to meet my folks?"

Evie smiled, and nodded and allowed Doug to take her by the hand and pull her away.

Once and Doug and Evie were out of earshot, Gia turned to Ben and Mal. "It's time to meet the parents?"

Ben and Mal nodded.

"Yeah," said Mal. "We had to reassure her that everything was going to be fine."

Adam nodded in agreement. "Dopey's the most forgiving of the dwarfs. He and his brothers will love Evie as much as we do."

"She'll do fine," Gia reassured. "Evie's loveable. It's hard _not_ to love her."

The royals and Mal watched as Doug and Evie disappeared into the crowd of parents and students.

* * *

Doug pulled Evie gently by the hand towards where his family was stationed. He was sure Ben and Mal had reassured Evie that everything was going to be fine. He knew Evie was nervous considering how much Evil Queen hated his surrogate aunt Snow White as well as his dad and uncles and then tried to poison Snow with an apple laced with poison.

"Don't worry," Doug said, pulling Evie out of her daze. "Dad's cool. Well, not as cool as Beast is but he's cool in his own way. You'll _love_ my mom. She's reminds me of you."

"And your uncles?" Evie asked timidly.

"They vary but most all of them are forgiving. Uncle Grumpy isn't so bad but he is known to hold a little bit of a grudge."

Evie swallowed. She recalled Mal telling her one of the stories Ben had told her about Grumpy.

"My aunts, sisters and cousins are all cool too. My cousins are probably the most forgiving." Doug continued.

"Do they all go to Auradon Prep?" Evie asked.

"Most of the older ones do. My uncles and aunts all live near each other so the closest school was Auradon Prep. Most of them are only children but a few have siblings."

"Should be fun." Evie said, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"Come on. Everyone's excited to meet you."

Evie brightened at the idea of her could-be in-laws being excited in meeting her.

Finally, Doug and Evie stopped at the archway steps where Ben had posed for photos with his parents during Family Day.

Evie gulped when she saw how many people were assembled. She counted at least fourteen adults and numerous kids that she couldn't count because they were all moving around. The adults were talking among themselves. Talk about a large family.

The half-dwarf kids varied from the ages of at least eight to eighteen. They were all wearing different coloured clothing, which, if Evie had to guess, corresponded to which of the dwarfs owned which child.

Evie looked at Doug. She knew now that he wasn't the eldest but was _one_ of the eldest kids in his family. She felt Doug tug at her hand and she stepped forward so that she was standing a couple of metres from an average height woman and a dwarf male wearing a purple beanie.

"Mom, dad." Doug said, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Doug, my darling," Doug's mother beamed. "We were wondering where you'd gotten to." Finally, her eyes fell on Evie. "Who's your friend?"

Every member of Doug's family fell silent.

"This is Evie, my girlfriend." Doug said, looking at Evie affectionately.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Evie froze. She turned her head to look over her shoulder. She turned and saw Mal and Ben walking around the corner a few metres away. She sighed inwardly when they spotted her and gave her a reassuring thumbs up. She gave them a small nervous smile before turning back to Doug's family.

None of the dwarfs (or their children) had moved a muscle since Doug had sprung on them that he was dating the Evil Queen's daughter.

" _Wow,"_ said a voice. _"You're pretty."_

The dwarfs closest to the front shuffled aside to reveal a little girl no more then eight, maybe nine looking at Evie with wide eyes. She walked forward a few steps and stared up at Doug and his girlfriend.

The girl was small for her age and she was wearing a golden yellow dress. Her eyes were light brown and her hair was the same shade brown as Doug's.

Evie found herself crouching down to the little girl's level.

"Hi." The little girl said with a shy smile.

"Hi." Evie said gently.

"Ev, meet Simone, Uncle Sneezy's daughter."

"Hello Simone." Evie said with a sweet smile. "I'm Evie."

Simone giggled. She held out her arms, wanting to be picked up.

Evie, knowing what Simone wanted, instinctively picked her up and gave her a hug.

In the crowd of dwarfs, Sneezy watched wide-eyed at how motherly his nephew's girlfriend was towards his daughter.

Simone giggled again as she pulled out of Evie's hug. Evie then set her down and smiled as she ran back to her father giggling.

"It's nice to finally meet you Evie," said Doug's mother. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Nadine, Doug's mother."

"Lovely to meet you," Evie smiled sweetly as she continued to hold Simone. "Doug speaks very highly of you."

"That's sweet of you, dear." Nadine said with a smile.

Evie smiled in return. She was glad that Doug's mother wasn't judging her. She had a strange feeling that maybe Mal and Ben had been right. Everything was going to be fine. She had two other supporters on her side. Simone seemed to like her and hopefully everyone else would follow suit.

* * *

Ben and Mal sighed in relief when they saw that Evie was getting along with Doug's family. They knew themselves just how hard it was to get one's parents to accept the significant other.

Belle and Adam had taken the time to get to know Mal and had come to accept her, as well as her three VK friends. Since Ben's coronation, The VKs' week long return to the Isle of the Lost and their return, Belle and Adam had gotten over the fact that their potential future daughter-in-law was in fact a villain's child. They treated her no differently then they did any of Ben and Gia's other friends in which Ben had been grateful.

"Crisis averted." Mal murmured.

Ben couldn't help nodding in agreement. "To think, that was us at Family Day last year."

Mal snorted. "Your parents love me."

"Indeed they do." Ben smiled as he pulled her close.

Mal let out a giggle.

" _Hey kids."_

The teenage couple turned to see a man with blue tinted skin and a genie-style hairdo and an outfit Evie would have been proud of standing behind them.

"Genie," Ben said with a smile. "Hi."

"How ya doin' kid?" Genie asked with a smile.

"Fine, thanks," Ben smiled. He looked at Mal. "I'm not sure if you've met. Genie, meet my girlfriend Mal. Mal this is Genie, Jordan's dad."

"Hi. Jordan talks about you a lot." Mal said as she shook Genie's hand.

Genie laughed. "I'm betting she does. It's nice to meet you, Mal. Jordan talks very highly of your art skills."

This took Mal by surprise. "She does?"

Genie nodded. "Oh yes. She said she really wishes she had art skills like yours. I think she's a little envious. Though, she did take after me and loves to perform."

Mal thought back to all the episodes she had watched with Evie of Jordan's web series. Jordan was entertaining to watch. Also, it had been awkward to watch the Lemonade episode when she and her friends (plus Audrey) had accidentally wished themselves inside Jordan's lamp.

" _Ah hi. Is this is a bad time?"_ Mal's own words from that moment still bounced around inside her skull. Of course it had been a bad time. Jordan had scolded the group for what they had done and had given the girls makeovers because her lamp apparently had a genie chic dress code. Mal had thought it was had be a ridiculous thing to have in force in for a lamp when every few people were actually allowed inside a genie's lamp.

"I'm sure she does, Genie," Ben agreed. "You'll find," said Ben. "That creative traits run in most families."

"Oh, like you and your superb dance skills?" Genie teased. This snapped Mal out of her thoughts.

"Blame Gia," Ben rolled his eyes. "She's always been the performer in my family. I just so happened to get roped into her harebrained schemes."

Genie and Mal looked at each other and smiled. They knew how much Gia loved getting under the king's skin.

"She is cunning," Mal said to Genie. "She's loveable too."

Genie nodded in agreement. He couldn't agree with anything more true.

Ben gave them both the stink eye and crossed his arms.

Genie and Mal smirked before chuckling.

"Oh, relax, Benny Boo." Mal joked. "We were just teasing."

Ben raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh I know." He smirked in return.

As much as he loved her, Ben just couldn't stay mad at her. In fact, he couldn't stay mad at _anyone_ for too long. He did, however, hold a couple of grudges. Both were against Chad and Audrey. While they had been punished for the rumor and they had been humiliated in council meetings in front of their parents, it still wasn't enough. He knew it was a villain thing to do (and he had grown up with a VK as a sister) but he couldn't shake his hatred of what they had done. to ruin Mal and her friends.

"You know who you two remind me of?" Genie said casually.

"Who?" Mal asked as Ben wrapped an arm around her waist.

"My ol' pals Aladdin and Jasmine."

"Aziz's parents, right?" Mal asked.

"Yep," Ben nodded. "How about I take you to meet them?"

Mal blinked. "They're here?"

Ben pursed his lips and nodded again.

"Like right now?"

"Yeah. Aziz has high marks in Economics, so his marks are being celebrated today too."

"Cool," Mal smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

Carlos crept around the courtyard, trying to evade his friends and many of the teachers, which included Fairy Godmother.

He had been looking for Gia but couldn't find her anywhere. He had checked with Belle and Adam and they had told him that she had disappeared to talk to some one of the parents.

Sighing, he made his way back over to Jay whose face was covered in chocolate from the chocolate fountain that had been set up on one of the buffet tables.

"Can't find Gia?" Jay asked, his mouth full of watermelon and orange.

Carlos shook his head. "No. She hasn't come to find you, has she?"

"Nope. Remember, bro? We can't make our relationship public because students and teachers aren't meant to get involved."

"Technically," Carlos said. "You were together _before_ she became a teacher."

"Doesn't matter Carl," Jay shook his head. "It's just how things have to be."

Carlos looked like he wanted to protest but he didn't. He knew how much Jay loved Gia and how much he wanted to please her. "Dude," Carlos said placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I know you're crazy about her but how long are you both going to be able to keep this up? It's bound to be bought up at some point." What do you think Fairy Godmother will say when she finds out that one of her students is dating one of her teachers?"

Jay sighed and clenched his jaw. As new to dating as Carlos was, he did have a good point.

"Don't worry buddy," Carlos punched Jay in the arm. "You'll find a way to get through it."

"I know," Jay said. "But it's just hard."

" _Guys!"_

The boys turned to see Mal trudging towards them. They were surprised that Ben wasn't with her.

"Hey!" Carlos greeted. "Where's Ben?"

"That's the reason I came to find you both," Mal said slowly as she grabbed a handful of strawberries from the bowl on the table. "He wants to introduce you to Aladdin and Jasmine."

Jay's face fell. He had heard from his father just much 'bad' Aladdin had done twenty years before to cause Jafar to be locked up on the Isle of the Lost. Now, having become friends with Aladdin's son Aziz, he didn't know what to think now.

"Okay fine," Jay said as he grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. "Let's get this over and done with."

* * *

Aladdin and Jasmine hadn't changed all that much in the last twenty years. They were now ruling Agrabah as the Sultan and Sultana after Jasmine's father had retired from the role due to poor health. Abu, Carpet and Genie still played major parts in the couple's lives.

Cassim, Aladdin's father also played a major role in his son and daughter-in-law's reign. He had given up a life of crime after Aziz had been born so he could spend time with his grandson.

However, when Beast had declared that all villains were to be sent to the Isle of the Lost, Cassim had lost his little travelling companion, Iago who had been sentenced to the island for aiding Jafar in trying to ruin Agrabah. Cassim himself had been lucky to escape punishment after Aladdin had put in a good word for him (after Jasmine and Genie had pushed him into doing so).

"It's good to see that Aziz hasn't been influenced by the VKs," Aladdin told Ben. He watched as Jade walked arm in arm with Pip, Peter Pan's son. "Who's that girl?" Aladdin asked.

"Which one?" Ben asked.

Aladdin pointed to Jade's retreating back.

" _Jade,"_ said a voice. Aladdin, Jasmine and Ben turned to see Jordan with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face. "Hi Uncle Al. Hi Auntie Jas."

Jasmine chuckled as she and Jordan hugged. "You're looking well Jordan." She smiled. "Now what were you saying about Jade?"

"Jade is Nasira's daughter." Jordan told her.

Aladdin and Jasmine looked to Ben for an explanation, as they were confused.

"Nasira is a minor villain. She's also Jafar's sister."

"Jafar had a sister?" Aladdin asked in surprise. "We never knew that."

"Neither did I," Ben confessed. "Not until Mal and her friends chose the new batch of VKs."

" _She's also my cousin."_

The trio turned to see Jay enter the space arm-in-arm with Mal with Carlos flanking Mal's other side.

"One Jay and one Carlos, as ordered." Mal bowed her head as she let go of the boys' arms.

Ben chuckled and shook his head as Mal joined him.

"Aladdin, Jasmine allow us to introduce you both to Jay and Carlos, the sons of Jafar and Cruella De Vil respectively." Ben said with a grin.

"'Respectively?' Please." Carlos snorted. "There's nothing respectful about my mother. All she cares about are her stupid fur coats."

Ben shrugged.

Aladdin and Jasmine were taken aback by Carlos' comment about his mother. They had thought that the VKs would at least have 'nice' things to say about their parents but apparently Aziz had been correct when he had said that the VKs _hated_ their parents.

"Carlos, right?" Aladdin said, slowly and uneasily.

Carlos jumped. "Y-yes." He stammered.

"It's alright Carlos," Jordan said. "Uncle Al isn't as intimidating as most fathers are in Auradon."

"Yeah," snorted Ben. " Aladdin is _nowhere_ near as frightening as my dad is when he's in a bad mood."

"I'm not frightening at all," Aladdin frowned. "I'm just protective of my son, that's all."

Jasmine exchanged looks with Mal and patted her husband's arm. "Aladdin," she scolded. "Don't scare the boys."

"I'm not." Aladdin said, throwing up his hands.

Jay smirked.

Jasmine's attention turned to Jay. "You must be Jay," she smiled. Jay nodded uneasily, not liking having all the attention being put on him. "Aziz says you are nothing like your father."

Jay blushed which was something he very rarely did, if at all. "Yes, ma'am."

"Ben had every right to bring you here to Auradon," Jasmine nodded approvingly. "Allow us to extend our own welcome."

Jasmine's praise caught Jay off guard. He had heard just how stubborn and fierce Jasmine had been when she was younger from not only his father but stories that he had heard from Belle and Adam.

Jay would have thought Aladdin would be more accepting, having grown up being a street urchin.

"Please excuse my husband," Jasmine said apologetically to the boys and Mal. "He is still adjusting to having VKs in Auradon." She gave Aladdin a hard, disapproving look.

Aladdin bowed his head, biting his lip.

For a moment there was silence.

"Jafar put us through hell," Aladdin said at last. "He impersonated Jasmine. Made Genie look like a fool. He even tried to kill Jasmine's father. Please excuse my hesitation."

Jay felt his stomach drop. Maybe Aziz hadn't been right after all. Maybe Aladdin wasn't going to forgive him for being Jafar's son. He bowed his head.

"However," Jay's head shot up to find Aladdin looking at him. "My son as well as many of the other kids of Auradon have said great things about you, Jay and that of your friends. You have my welcome."

Jay breathed a sigh of relief. "You'd really accept us after what my dad did to you?"

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my time, Jay. I was too quick to judge you, purely because of who your father is. I shouldn't be judging. I didn't even know my father until he ruined my wedding day… the first time."

"The first time?" Carlos questioned.

"It's a long story, kid." Genie said as he joined his two old friends..

Jordan scoffed and rolled her eyes. Trust her father to dwell on the events of the past. "As long as the forty thieves don't come in and ransack the place." She muttered.

"Jordan!" Genie scolded his daughter.

"It's alright, Genie," Aladdin told his longtime best friend. "Jordan didn't mean anything by what she said." Aladdin turned to his honorary niece. "Did you, Jordan?"

"Of course not," Uncle Al," Jordan said sincerely. "I would _never_ bring Cassim's former gang into it."

Ben had a feeling that Jordan was either really good at lying or was actually being sincere. He knew a little bit about Aladdin's father but not a lot. He knew that Cassim and his group of thieves had ruined Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding the first time around. Genie had told the story enough times over the years. It was surprising that Adam hadn't had Cassim set to the Isle of the Lost with the rest of the forty thieves. Aladdin must have talked the former king around, saying that his father was willing to change.

"I hope you don't, Jordan." Ben chuckled. He winced when Mal elbowed him in the ribs.

A bell rang and Fairy Godmother appeared, seemingly out of thin air. "Children and family members, it's time to assemble for a special performance on the Athletics track before that though, the staff will be participating in their annual race." The headmistress disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Mal and Ben looked at each other.

"A performance?" Mal asked.

"News to me." Ben said, just as mystified.

"But you're the king," Mal said. "Aren't you told well, everything about what's going to go down? Plus, what's this race?"

Ben shook his head. "Nope. If it affects Auradon as a whole, I'm told but if its school related, I'm not. To answer your second question, the race is… traditional. The teachers of Auradon Prep like to compete to see who's the fastest." Mal looked about ready to ask another question when Ben stopped her. "Just how it works. Come on." he grabbed her hand.

Mal pulled him into the crowd of parents and their children.

Ben looked around, looking for his parents, Gia, the boys and Evie. He spotted the back of his father's head a little distance away and knew his mother wouldn't be far behind. He looked around to see that Jay and Evie were following Doug and his family but what struck him as odd was that Carlos and Gia were nowhere to be found.

Mal caught the worried expression on her boyfriend's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I've seen my parents, Jay and Evie but I can't find Gia and Carlos anywhere."

Mal took a quick look around. There were too many people milling around but like Ben, Mal knew the backs of Carlos and Gia's heads like the back of her hand. Carlos could be spotted a mile off with his frosted white hair and black roots. Gia was no different with her hair always done in a ladylike manner.

"They're here somewhere," Mal assured Ben. "Let's see what all the fuss is about."

* * *

Mal and Ben caught up with Evie, Doug, Jay, Adam and Belle in the track and field bleachers.

"What's going on?" Evie asked as Ben and Mal sat down.

"I hope Gia and Carlos get here soon." Ben answered.

"He probably took Dude to do his business or something." Jay said. "Are dogs even allowed up here?"

Nobody answered him as the staff that were participating in the race, walked out onto the track. Among them was Gia.

"There she is." Belle said from the row behind them. Ben looked briefly over his shoulder to see his mother pointing towards the field. He followed her finger and sure enough Gia was warming up on the track with the other members of staff.

"Gia's down at the track?" Jay chuckled. "Nice." Evie elbowed him.

Jay wanted to say something else but decided not to, against his better judgment. He closed his mouth and turned to see the staff readying themselves on the track.

Gia took the second lane beside Mrs. Lane, the Auradon History teacher. In the third lane was Coach Jenkins.

"Ah, isn't that technically cheating?" Jay asked Ben as he peered over Mal.

"Is what cheating?" Adam asked behind the teens.

"To have Coach Jenkins in the race. I mean, he _lives_ to run." Jay said.

"Not really," Ben shrugged. "Teachers competing isn't all that strange. Besides, for the past five years, Coach has won the race. It's get a bit predictable after a while."

"And you really had no idea that this race was going to happen?" Doug asked as he peered over Evie to look at Ben.

"I thought they cancelled it after what happened last year." Ben's tone suddenly turned uneasy.

"What happened last year?" Mal asked.

"I'll tell you later." Ben murmured.

As much as Mal wanted to ask about it more, she didn't.

The group prepared themselves for what was going to come next.

* * *

On the track, the teachers crouched, preparing to run. One of the Tourney players stepped out with the starting pistol. He raised the pistol. "Get ready." The teachers rose into position. The pistol went off.

The teachers took off.

Gia allowed her breathing to steady. She needed to focus. Every training session she had down with Ben over the summer had to pay off. She hoped it did. She had a race to win. She wanted to prove that women were just as capable of winning as men were and she wanted to see Coach Jenkins fall on his ass.

In the last five years, Jenkins had won the annual race but after last year's near disaster in which he had accidentally set the stadium alight, the staff had been looking at cancelling the event. Luckily, no one had been hurt but a dozen people had been injured and that included a couple of members of the fire brigade.

Memories of karate training in her youth allowed pushed Gia to push herself along the track. She passed a number of members of staff and before she knew it she was just coming up behind Coach Jenkins.

In the crowd, Gia's family watched in awe.

"Oh my god," Adam breathed. "She's blitzing it."

Mal and Ben looked at each other. Adam might not have been the coolest dad in the world but he was getting there, at least in Mal's eyes he was. The former king had something right. Gia was 'blitzing' it on the track.

Gia pushed herself even more as she rocketed past Coach Jenkins. She cleared the final couple of hundred metres until she found herself pushing past the finish line.

The crowd went wild.

"And the winner is… Lady Gia!" roared the Tourney player who had set off the starting pistol just moments earlier.

Gia leaned her over, her hands on her knees as she recovered her breath. Her breathing was heavy but she felt her strength returning with every breath she took. Out the corner of her eye, she saw a microphone being held out to her. She reached for it and switched it on.

"Thank you everyone for coming to this year's annual staff track event!"

The crowd cheered and applauded. "I have just proven to the male staff of Auradon Prep that women can run any sort of sporting event just as easily as themmen." Gia looked over at where the male competitors were standing nearby trying to catch their breath.

The crowd laughed.

"With the permission of Fairy Godmother, I have been given the opportunity to perform today with two very special guests. So here we go."

Half the cheerleading squad walked out and stepped into position, ready to perform.

In the crowd, Mal looked over to see Audrey sitting with her parents. She hadn't joined her fellow cheerleaders. Mal suddenly remembered that Audrey was still grounded but had been allowed to participate in Academics Day because of her high marks in English and Fashion Design in which she was tied was Evie.

A headset microphone suddenly appeared on Gia's face.

Bright and catchy pop music started to play.

 _Day and Night, day and night,_ Gia sang and started to dance. _Your, on my mind, on my mind_

The cheerleaders started to move to the beat.

 _It's only you and I, you and I_

The audience started to clap to the beat.

From where they were sitting, Audrey and Chad didn't join in.

 _Just you and me, yeah ooh_

A little brown dog ran out onto the field.

"Look!" cried Jay as he pointed. His friends, Belle and Adam stood up to see where he was pointed. "It's Dude!"

The teenagers looked at each other. If Dude had just run out onto the track, then where was Carlos?

 _Got me drunk on your love, so where's the after party 'cause I'm just getting started (hey hey hey) keep on pouring it up and don't you ever stop it I know I want it_

Dude rose up on his back legs and twirled. Once. Twice. Three times.

As Gia and the cheerleaders moved to the beat, a frosted haired figure with black roots jogged out onto the track and stood a few feet from Gia and Dude.

The music pounded into the chorus.

 _But I wanna wait until the weekend up comes, just so I can pop a bottle of love, take another shot, I'll never get enough C'mon and fill me up, fill me up, I don't wanna wait until the weekend comes Just so I can pop a bottle of your love take another shot, I'll get never get enough, c'mon and fill me up fill me up_

Carlos' dance moves mirrored Gia's.

At this point, Mal, Evie and Belle had risen from their seats and had joined the rest of crowd and dancing and singing along. The boys, however, weren't quite ready to join them.

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _C'mon and fill me up, fill me up_

 _Drink it down, drink it down and I feel it now feel it now, you got me going wild going wild, I wanna scream I'm home_

Gia's voice broke on the high note.

' _Cause I'm so drunk on your love don't wanna leave the party, yeah I'm just getting started (hey hey hey) keep on pouring it up don't even think of stopping, I know you want it_

Gia, Carlos and Dude stepped back into formation with the cheerleaders as they entered the next phase of their routine.

 _But I don't wanna wait until the weekend comes Just so I can pop a bottle on your love take another shot, I'll never get enough c'mon and fill me up, fill me up, I don't wanna wait until the weekend comes just so I can pop a bottle of your love take another shot, I'll never get enough, c'mon and fill me up, fill me up_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _C'mon and fill me up, fill me up_

Carlos and Dude jogged away from the girls and allowed them to do the next part of the routine.

 _Gimme, gimme more let it pour, til it overflows anything you want take it all c'mon give it to me gimme gimme more let it pour, til it overflows anything you want take it all c'mon give it to me_

Carlos rushed back over to the girls cheerleaders but motioned for Dude to stay put.

In the stands, the boys were now on their feet and dancing along with the girls.

 _I don't wanna wait until the weekend comes just so I can pop a bottle of your love take another shot, i'llI'll never get enough c'mon and fill me up, fill me up I don't wanna wait until the weekend comes just so I can pop a bottle of your love take another shot I'll never get enough c'mon and fill me up, fill me up_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _Oh-oh, oh, oh, fill me,_

 _C'mon and fill me up, fill me up_

The music stopped and the dancers on the track froze in position.

The crowd went wild.

Gia laughed into her microphone as she and Carlos stepped forward together and bowed.

* * *

Gia was just slipping her feet into her shoes and felt herself being flung in a circle. She shrieked with laughter.

" _You were AMAZING!"_ said the all too familiar voice of Ben.

Gia laughed. "I love you too Ben, now put me down."

Ben put her down. She turned to face him. "Sorry," he apologised. "Force of habit."

"You better get use to it," Mal teased as she took his arm. "She's a teacher and it's a tad inappropriate."

Ben turned his head to smile at her. He then leaned in to quickly kiss her.

"That would explain a couple of things.," said Jay.

Evie nodded. "It would explain why Carlos was always missing at lunchtime."

"Yeah," Jay agreed. "The whole 'making out with Jane' thing was getting old."

"You don't know that Carlos and Jane were making out." Mal said.

" _Hey guys."_ Carlos greeted as walked over, carrying Dude in his arms.

"Ah, there's our little dancer," Adam beamed. "You did well, son."

Carlos beamed. He had long gotten over being frightened of Adam. He now saw Ben's father as the father he had never known and he saw Belle as the mother Cruella never was to him. "Thanks," he said as Adam clapped him on the back. "I'm glad we finally got to show it off. Thanks G." he smiled.

"No worries," Gia beamed in return. "The cheerleaders were _dying_ to show everyone their new routine off."

"You were spectacular darling," Belle smiled as she wrapped an arm around her foster daughter's shoulders. "Every time you perform you get better and better."

"Isn't that the whole point?" Jay snorted. He then turned to his secret girlfriend. "You did awesome, babe."

Gia smiled. She wanted to kiss him but knew she couldn't.

"Shh!" Mal and Evie said as their covered Jay's mouth.

"Do you _want_ the whole school to know that you're dating a teacher?" Evie hissed.

The bleachers were empty except for a few stragglers that included Audrey who frowned. She was too far away to hear what Jay had said but judging by the way Mal and Evie had reacted it couldn't have been something good.

"Sorry." Jay mumbled. It had almost been a year and Jay _still_ was still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of apologizing.

Back in the bleachers, Audrey scoffed, got to her feet and walked away, unable to watch any more.

On the track, no one noticed that Audrey had stalked off.

"I have never seen _anyone_ move the way you two did," Mal smiled. "I never thought Carlos would perform in front of people."

Carlos frowned at her, insulted.

"We wanted it to be a surprise."

"That would explain why you didn't come back to the dorm until late." Jay said in realization to Carlos.

"Got that right, dude."

Dude the dog barked from his place in Carlos' arms.

The group laughed.

"Not you, buddy." Carlos chuckled as he patted his canine companion's head.

* * *

The rest of the day went smoothly and there were no outcries like there had been at Family Day the year before.

" _You should be proud of your grades."_ Grinned Mulan as she spoke with Mal.

"I am very proud them. I guess I have Ben and my friends to thank for that." Mal beamed.

" _Mulan."_

Mulan and Mal turned to see a handsome Asian man with his dark hair pulled back in a bun walking towards them, trailed by Lonnie.

"Mal, have you met my husband Shang?" Mulan asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Right then. Shang, meet Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Mal, this is my husband Shang."

"Hi," Mal said with a smile. "Lonnie, Ben, Gia and Mulan speak very highly of you."

Lonnie giggled.

"And my little warrior speaks very highly of you, Mal." Shang smiled.

"Dad." Lonnie groaned, covering her face in embarrassment.

Mushu appeared at Shang's shoulder while his cricket companion Cri-Kee appeared on Lonnie's shoulder.

"Hey kid," Mushu said fondly. "How are ya?"

"Hey Mushu," Mal reached out and offered the little dragon a ride on her hand. Mushu jumped down, accepting Mal's offer. "I'm good. I hope you've been behaving yourself."

"Oh, yes," Shang chuckled. "Mushu has been behaving himself. I've been making sure of that."

"If you mean, Mushu giving Grampa and Grams hell, sure _that's_ punishment enough." Lonnie sarcastically muttered.

Mulan and Shang didn't move to reprimand their daughter for her comment.

Mal thought it was nice to see a set of parents who didn't go over-the-top when it came to disciplining their children. She thought that Mulan and Shang would have come down hard on their daughter for her comment since they'd both been in the army but apparently, their form of parenting wasn't what she would have thought.

Shang caught the look on Mal's face and chuckled. "We punish Lonnie but not in the traditional way. We allow her to work out on her own what her mistakes are and when she realises that they are, we punish her accordingly."

"Let me guess," Mal said in an undertone. "You don't believe in capital punishment?"

"Not exactly but close," Mulan said. "You see, Shang and I lived in a time where women were only around to watch their husbands go off to war and to have children. They weren't as… valued as they are today. In the army, women weren't allowed because they were considered weak and only good for certain things. If a woman was caught doing something that went against their husbands, they would be shunned by their families. We didn't want to raise Lonnie that way. We wanted her to respect everybody for who they are. That's why when Beast reunited all the kingdoms, we chose to move to Auradon where we weren't subjected to shame."

Mal felt herself tense at Mulan's words. What she was describing sounded like how her mother used to run the show on the Isle of the Lost. She had bee six when Maleficent had 'cursed' Evil Queen and Evie to spend the following ten years in solitude, solely because Mal hadn't been invited to any of Evie's birthday parties. She relaxed when she felt Ben's arms around her.

"You know, what you're saying reminds me of how my mother use to run things on the Isle of the Lost."

Mulan, Shang and Lonnie straightened.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any negative memories for you." Mulan apologized.

"No, it's fine," Mal said she leaned deeper into Ben's embrace. "I'm use to it."

"Living under Maleficent's thumb must have been hard." Shang said sympathetically.

"Being an islander was difficult but being her _daughter_ was harder. She always wanted me to be evil. She wanted me to show her that I was capable of baring the name 'Maleficent'. I always thought something was wrong with me. The worst crime imaginable is taking a life. The closest I've ever come to actually taking a life is love spelling Ben."

Shang and Mulan exchanged looks before looking to Lonnie for confirmation. When their daughter nodded, the couple turned back to Mal.

"But you didn't take a life. You only took Ben's ability to love and used it to get closer to him." Lonnie said.

"I know but even now I feel guilty for what I did. If it hadn't been my wish to get praise from my mother, I would never have done it."

"I know." Ben whispered in her ear and gave her an affectionate squeeze.

"You did well in standing up to your mother Mal," Shang said kindly. "It takes a lot of courage to stand up to a loved one. I remember when I was young, my father always pushed me to do my best and to follow in his footsteps and to join the army. When I was older enough, I did. One day, I got sick of him pushing me around so I stood up to him. I told him that he didn't rule my life and that he should have been proud of me, no matter what I did."

"So what happened after that?" Mal asked eagerly.

Ben breathed a throaty chuckle in her ear. Trust her to be curious.

"My father said he was sorry and said that it was wrong of him to push me the way he did. He then said that he trusted me to make the right decision in how _I_ should run my life."

Mal thought this over. Shang's story and her own, weren't all that different. They both had overbearing parents who wanted them to follow in their footsteps. Shang actually had to the courage to stand up to his father while Mal hadn't been able to stand up to her mother in the beginning. Ben's confession about knowing she had cast a spell on him and his revelation that he loved her made her realise that her mother had been wrong about everything.

"So now you know my dad's story," Lonnie smiled, snapping Mal out of her daze. "I never knew my paternal grandfather. He died before I was born in…"

"A Hun invasion," Mal answered. Lonnie blinked, curiously leaving the half-fairy to explain. "Shan Yu use to brag about it while I was on the island. He and a bunch of other villains, notably Gaston, Ratcliffe, Frollo, Hades, etc use to gather in the tavern most nights and either complain or brag (depending on who it was) about how they were all defeated or had an almost win." She snorted in disgust. and threw up her hands.

"How do you know all that?" Ben asked from behind her.

"Jay and I use to spy on them. Before he and I became friends, we were partners in crime but I'm sure you all ready knew that."

"I still can't believe that Beast had all the dead villains resurrected. They were better off staying dead." Shang said.

Lonnie and Mulan rolled their eyes.

"Again with that? Really?" Lonnie said in clear annoyance.

"What?" Shang shrugged. "If I had the chance I'd check with Yen Sid to see if Chi-Fu is behaving himself."

Mal looked at the Li family, confused. "Who?" she asked with a frown.

"Chi-Fu," Lonnie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He hated women and yet, he was a member of the Emperor of China's council. He was assigned to supervise dad while the soldiers (i.e. mom and my uncles) completed their training."

Mushu nodded and climbed down Mal's shoulder and back onto Ben's arm, which still rested around Mal. "He was nutty," The little dragon shuddered at the memories. "The Emperor even wanted Mulan to replace him and it caused him to pass out."

"Did my dad end up putting him on the island?" Ben asked.

"Yes, and for a good reason," Mulan said, cringing. "He complained to your father about how unfairly he was being treated by everybody and in the end, Beast sent him to the Isle of the Lost purely because he was being annoying."

Mal snorted, struggling to hold back her laughter. "I never thought Adam would do that."

"Well, he did." Shang said.

"But he wasn't technically evil." Ben said.

"Right, but what would you do if _you_ knew him?" Mulan asked.

"I'd lock him a prison cell." Ben put in.

A smile broke across Mal's face. "I like that." She turned her head, allowing Ben to kiss her.

Lonnie smiled. She, like their friends, was use to Mal and Ben's public displays of affection. It was good to see that Ben wasn't one of those kings who followed tradition.

Shang and Mulan laughed.

"We would have said the same thing, son." Shang chuckled. "If we hadn't of known what he was capable of."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was peaceful and problem-free.

Evie got to spend time with Doug and his family who took a real liking to her and her sweet and bubbly personality.

Jay got to know Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie better and realised that his father had been wrong about them. They were actually really cool and it was good to know that Aladdin's father hadn't been much of a father to him after they had been reunited at Aladdin and Jasmine's first attempt of a wedding. Since then, they'd really bonded and accepted each other.

Carlos spent most of the afternoon with Jane and Fairy Godmother but went between his friends.

Mal and Ben watched from the sidelines as they watched their friends.

"I'm just glad that there wasn't a repeat of last year's Family Day." Mal said as she clung to Ben.

Ben laughed. "You're going to keep using that as an example, aren't you?"

Mal pursed her lips and appeared thoughtful. "Maybe." She said after a moment of pondering.

Ben beamed before looking back over Doug and Evie. He was glad that Doug and Evie had found each other. Seeing as Doug was one of his best friends, he didn't have to worry about Evie hurting him like most of the other Auradonian girls would have. Having come to know Evie well, through Mal, Ben had seen that Evie was sweet, intelligent, caring and was very protective of her friends, particularly Mal and Carlos. Ben liked the fact that Evie was there was for everybody and didn't care if they were royal or not. She liked pretty much everyone and only disliked people when they had done something totally unforgivable.

Mal couldn't help but wonder how she had come to have such a sweet best friend when it came to Evie. It was obvious that her blue-haired best friend was crazy about Doug. Mal liked the fact that Doug doted on Evie's every word and how he treated her like a real princess. As much as the princess-y stuff sickened Mal, she was glad that Evie was being treated like she should have been. Mal liked Doug. He was kind and not at all judgmental but what she liked the most was the fact that he wasn't a prince. Sure, Ben had been a prince just under a year earlier but that was a little different. She recalled what Jay had told her, Evie and Carlos about the conversation he had had with Coach Jenkins about the entire Tourney team being made up of princes. She had made it known to Ben that if he _ever_ treated her like a princess, she'd kill him.

" _Mal! Ben!"_

Ben and Mal were snapped out of their thoughts by the sound of Evie's voice.

Evie ran towards her two friends, the biggest smile ever hanging on her face.

"Hi." Mal greeted with a sickly sweet smile.

Ben's face fell when he caught the look on Mal's face. He could tell she was 'plotting' something.

"Doug's family _loves_ me!" Evie laughed excitedly while jumping up and down like an energetic child.

"See?" Ben grinned. "We told you they would."

"What's Dopey _really_ like?" Mal asked, ignoring Ben.

"He's really sweet. He _does_ talk but not very often. Bashful and Happy were joking that he's too shy to talk to anyone who _isn't_ family." Evie said, practically bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"Well, that's something. Like Ben said, E, Dopey was going to love you regardless of what your mom did to Snow White." Mal nodded.

Evie beamed and clapped her hands.

To see Evie so happy was a blessing as well a curse or at least, to Mal it was. For Evie to be happy, it was like seeing a sugar high come to life. Evie probably wouldn't come down off cloud nine until next week or possibly never.

"As long as you're happy Evie," Ben said. "So are we."

Evie beamed; glad to have Ben and Mal on side.

* * *

 _I might have to repost this chapter as all my errors had to be re-erased. I have no idea why. Anyway, it has just gone midnight here in Australia and I really need to sleep. So next chapter is a big one. A few days after Academics Day, Mal passes out at the Tourney Game and Gia, Evie, Doug, Carlos and Jay scramble to help her while Ben ends up on the verge of a massive panic attack at not being able to do anything to help._

 _To be Continued..._


	9. Tourney Game Faint

**A/N:** _Hey all. It's really late here in Oz, it's just gone midnight and I had to get this chapter up before I went to sleep. I normally go over the chapter at least twice for errors but I only did it once. I have been working on this chapter for ages and I'm so glad now that I'm able to publish it now. I wanna give a massive shoutout to pinksakura271 for their hilarious reviews. Thank you so much and I am so glad you're enjoying the story. There is a lot more to come so stay tuned. So this chapter is where Mal passes out. You'll find out why in this chapter too. Also, a few new OCs are introduced. I'll like your opinions of them as well as who their parents are. Also, originally this chapter was going to be a lot longer but I wanted to get this up tonight so its going to continue on in the next chapter.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Tourney Game Faint**

* * *

Friday arrived and after the events of Academics Day, Mal and her friends were feeling pretty good.

Evie was feeling great. Not only had she managed to win over Doug's family, they had invited her to spend a few weekends with them during the fall break. Evie had been overjoyed with the idea of spending time with the dwarfs and getting to know them and their families. She didn't even think twice about what her mother would have thought.

Carlos was becoming quite the little performer after his performance with Gia and Dude on the athletics track. He had been asked to perform with Dude at a few school functions. The idea made him a little uneasy but Jane had been insistent that he take up the offers as it would make him more confident not only around other students but other people in general.

Jay had taken such a liking to Aladdin and Jasmine that he had volunteered to teach some of the kids in Agrabah how to play Tourney as Genie had been struggling to get numbers up on the some of the local teams.

As for Mal, well she was just happy that she got to spend much of the week with Ben. As the school year had only just began, their schoolwork wasn't as bad and Ben's royal duties had lessened a bit.

" _I wouldn't have put it that way."_ Ben chuckled as he walked with his arms around Mal as they walked across the Tourney field.

Mal scoffed. "You're too modest plus Audrey was right. You _really_ are too trusting."

Ben laughed as he pulled Mal closer. "As long as you're my lucky charm."

"Lucky charm? Since when?" she snorted.

"Since that time where…"

"Okay. I don't need the _whole_ story." Mal said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I was there."

Ben stopped walking and pulled Mal closer then he had before.

Mal instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

They both leaned in so that their noses were touching when…

" _Ben! Get over here!"_ called Coach Jenkins from somewhere on the field.

Ben groaned. "Duty calls."

Mal grinned cheekily before leaning in to kiss him.

A long moment past and Ben broke the kiss, pressing his forehead to hers. "What that for?" he murmured.

Mal giggled. "You said I was your good luck charm. Whoever said I can't still be?"

Ben grinned before kissing her again, only a little bit more passionately then before. "I love you." He whispered.

Mal grinned and whispered. "I love you more."

Ben pulled back and looked over at the bleachers. Mal followed his gaze and sure enough, Evie, Jade and Lonnie had just arrived for the game. The girls noticed them and waved. The couple waved back. "Go," Ben told her. "Go cheer me on."

Mal snorted. "I was going to do that anyway."

Ben laughed. "That's fair."

Mal leaned up to kiss him one last time before pulling away. She turned around, her shoulder bag swinging with her as she went to join the girls.

Ben watched as Mal walked away, a lazy love struck smile crossing his face. He only snapped out of it when he felt Jay clap him on the shoulder. "Come on, bro. Let's win this game!" With that, Ben followed Jay back towards the team barracks.

* * *

Mal climbed the short way up the bleachers to join her friends.

"Good show of affection down there," Jade teased. "I never thought in my wildest dreams that Maleficent's daughter would be head over heels in love with Belle and Beast's son."

Mal could feel her cheeks go a bright shade of crimson. She was normally more composed and almost never let her feelings get the better of her. The week had been one of the best she had had since arriving in Auradon. She had never felt so happy.

Evie elbowed Jade in the arm. "She's still getting use to all the attention." Evil Queen's daughter whispered. Lonnie leaned over, interested. "Cut her some slack, hey?"

Jade bowed her head.

"Don't worry," Lonnie said, giving Jade's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You didn't know."

"I guess, I'm still getting use to being Auradonian." Jade replied.

"You'll get use to it," Mal said. "If Ev and I could, you will too."

" _Hey guys!"_

The girls looked up to see Jane, Freddie, Ulysses and Titus heading up towards them.

"Hey!" Evie greeted. "Welcome to your first Tourney match."

The boys chuckled as they seated themselves.

Jane and Freddie looked at each other.

"Seriously? I never thought I would actually get to watch an Auradonian Tourney match." Freddie said as she and Jane sat down.

"The boys need our support," Evie said. "Like Ben likes to say, Mal is his good luck charm."

Mal groaned and buried her head in her hands.

The others looked to their embarrassed friend before looking up as the cheerleaders took to the field.

Mal and Evie looked to see if they could find Gia. They looked a little to the right to see Audrey sitting glumly among a few of her non-cheerleader friends. When the former villainous duo couldn't see their royal friend, they exchanged puzzled looks.

"Hey Jane," Mal said leaning over Evie to talk to Jane. "Have you seen Gia?"

"No. Why?"

"It's just, the cheerleaders are out on the field but there's no Gia leading them. Isn't that odd?" Mal asked.

Jane had been in the administration office all morning and hadn't seen Gia once. Was there something she was missing or had she not been paying attention? "Wait a second," she said. "I think I remember mom saying that Gia had given the cheer squad a pep talk before she headed back to Castle Beast to finish something she was working on. I'm not sure."

* * *

Mal had found herself actually enjoying watching the cheerleaders practice their routine one last time before the game started. She looked over to where Audrey was sitting, watching her squad mates perform without her and looking rather depressed.

The other girls noticed where Mal was looking and felt a tiny twinge of sympathy.

"Audrey looks bummed." Titus said, returning his gaze to the others.

"Serves her right," said Freddie. "If she's gonna mess with Ben's girl then she has to pay for what she did."

Freddie's words caught Mal by surprise but she didn't say anything.

"What?" said Evie with a snort, prompting Mal to look at her. "No snide comebacks?"

Mal pursed her lips and shook her head. "Not this time. I'm glad that Ben and I have someone else on our side." She shot Freddie with a thankful smile.

"No worries," Freddie waved the comment off. "I'm glad you're happy, girl. Geez, if you were still on the island with your mom, she would have flayed you alive for your 'crimes'."

Mal shrugged. "I run my own life now. She doesn't rule my life anymore. I'm just glad that she's a lizard."

The girls laughed. The boys frowned.

"I never would have thought your mother would turn herself into a lizard." Freddie said.

"No, I think Mal turned her into a lizard," Jade frowned. "I remember _really_ well."

Mal knew this was going to turn into a full-blown argument but decided not to say anything.

Freddie snorted. "In your dreams, Jade."

As Freddie and Jade argued, the bleachers started to fill up with students. Even some of the teachers had come down to watch the game.

Within ten minutes, the game started with the cheerleaders going out and performing their earlier routine.

The team was at the top of their game as always but something seemed… off. Or at least, to Mal it did. She felt faint and she wasn't sure why.

"M? You okay?" Evie asked upon noticing her best friend's pale complexion.

"Yeah," Mal said absently. "Fine."

Freddie and Jade had seen Mal's face pale too and looked at each other. They reached forward and patted Mal on the shoulders.

"You alright?" Jade murmured.

Mal nodded, her head still heavy.

Down on the field, Carlos, who was the closest to the bleachers had seen Mal's face pale. He frowned but thought nothing of it. From their placements elsewhere on the field, Ben and Jay had noticed Carlos' attention was elsewhere.

Ten minutes past and Auradon had scored four points.

Mal jumped up with her friends cheering and applauding when she suddenly felt faint again. She felt her legs give out from beneath her as she crumpled into Evie's arms.

"Mal!" Evie said. The girls, Titus and Ulysses were quick to act.

The cheering and applause from the crowd stopped causing everybody to gasp in shock.

On the field, the players stopped their game.

Jay, Carlos and Ben turned in the direction of Evie's cry. They could see a terrified and frantic Evie struggling with Mal while the other girls and their two male companions looked around frantically.

"MAL!" screamed Ben before he took off towards the bleachers.

Carlos and Jay took off after him, abandoning their game and gear.

In the stands, Fairy Godmother appeared and teleported the girls to the infirmary.

The boys ran in the direction of the school.

* * *

By the time the boys arrived, Adam and Belle were outside the infirmary with Titus, Jade, Freddie, Jane and Ulysses.

"What's going on?" Ben asked his parents as he, Carlos and Jay skidded to a halt in front of them.

"We don't know," Belle said shaking her head. "We just got here ourselves."

The door to the infirmary opened revealing Lonnie and Gia.

"G, what's going on?" Jay asked his girlfriend.

Lonnie made the mistake of moving her head.

Ben caught sight of an unconscious Mal laying on one of the cots. He lunged forward in a desperate attempt to get into the room.

Adam, Belle, Lonnie, Ulysses, Jade and Titus grabbed Ben and pushed him away from the door.

"Adam, Belle, take Ben home," Gia called from the room as she worked on Mal. She turned her head to see her foster parents standing paralyzed in the doorway. Thankfully, Lonnie and the others had pulled Ben out the door a second earlier. She looked over at Mal whose face had gone even paler then before. "NOW!" The Lady of Auradon ordered, briefly looking back at her parents.

Fairy Godmother jumped at the sound of the young woman's order.

Adam and Belle snapped out of their dazes and stepped back out of the room to join their son and a few of his friends.

"Jay, Carlos we need you in here." Gia called.

Jay and Carlos filed into the room, closing the door behind them.

"What do you need?" Carlos asked, trying not to look or sound scared.

"Carlos, I need you to go to the school newspaper and stop any articles from being printed about Mal's collapse." Gia instructed.

Carlos nodded. "I'm on it." He turned, opened the door and left.

"What can I do?" Evie asked.

"Evie, go the chemistry labs and conjure up a healing potion. Take Doug with you. He can help you."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Doug poked his head in. "You wanted to see me, Your Ladyship?"

"Yes, Doug. Go with Evie to the chemistry lab, make a healing potion and bring it back here."

"Got it!" Evie jumped up from her place on Mal's left and hurrying around to join her boyfriend at the door. She took one last look over her shoulder at Mal before slipping out of the room.

Once Evie had shut the door, Jay turned to Gia. "What can I do to help?"

"I need you to help me check her over."

"Magically?" Jay asked.

"Yes, magically. You remember what I've taught you?"

"Yeah, of course. You're a good teacher. Have we covered healing yet? I don't remember." Jay scratched his head.

"The basics we have. Just this morning." Gia gave him a meaningful look.

From where she was standing, Fairy Godmother watched the exchange with interest.

Jay smirked and crouched down on Mal's right.

"Follow my lead." Gia said as she raised her hands over Mal with Jay copying her movement. "Focus on the issue and you should be a step away from finding out what's wrong."

"What are you going to do?" Jay asked.

"I'm doing a minor healing spell. It's only temporary and should last until Evie and Doug get back with the healing potion."

"You need me to stay, my dear?" Fairy Godmother asked kindly.

"FG, I need you to go to Castle Beast and give an update to Adam and Belle."

"What about Ben?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"I'll handle him once we give Mal the potion."

"Be careful, dear." With a flourish of her hands, Fairy Godmother vanished in a swirl of fairy dust.

"Now what do we do?" Jay asked.

"We just pray that this works."

* * *

Evie and Doug stood at a Bunsen burner in one of the chemistry labs.

"I hope this works, Doug." Evie fretted as she sprinkled a tiny amount of pixie dust into the test tube.

"It will Ev," Doug said, patting her on the shoulder. "We just need to stay positive. Think of what Ben's going through right now. Think about Carlos and Jay and Gia and all of our friends but mostly, think of Mal."

"That's not exactly reassuring." Evie muttered.

"I know. I was just trying to help." Doug said.

Evie looked over at him and placed a hand on his cheek. "I know you didn't mean it. Come on, let's save Mal."

* * *

Fairy Godmother had been able to draw Adam and Belle away from Ben without alerting the teenage king.

"How's she doing?" Belle asked.

"Gia has it under control. She sent Evie and Doug to the chemistry lab, Carlos to the school newspaper to stop any unnecessary articles from being printed and Jay stayed with her. It was… strange. Gia seemed determined to have him stay."

Adam and Belle looked at each other.

"What?" Fairy Godmother asked looking between the couple.

"It's not our place to tell you." Adam said.

"Tell me what?"

"Dear, don't." Belle said through gritted teeth.

"We can't keep this a secret forever, Belle. Gia and Jay are going to have to tell Fairy Godmother at some point."

"Tell me what?" Fairy Godmother asked, her eyes going from each of her old friends.

Belle rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Gia and Jay are dating." Adam said with a defeated sigh.

Fairy Godmother's face fell. "What?"

"They've been together long before Ben asked her to be magic teacher and deputy headmistress of Auradon Prep. She is more focused on her job then what she is her relationship," Belle said, hoping to defend her foster daughter. "She didn't tell you because of the student/teacher ban. To be fair, I wouldn't even overlook it."

"What are you saying?"

" _We're_ saying, let this relationship slide. Don't tell the staff." Adam said slowly.

Fairy Godmother looked over at Belle who suddenly wasn't paying attention. Sighing, she said, "Alright. No one will find out."

"Thank you." Adam sighed in relief. He knew Gia was going to skin him alive when she found out what he'd done.

"You know Gia is going to kill you, don't you?" Belle muttered to her husband.

"I know but I felt it was the right thing to do."

"Thank you for telling me. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."

"Keep us updated on Mal's condition, won't you?" Belle asked, placing a hand on Fiary Godmother's arm.

"I will. For the record, I do find the whole student/teacher relationship issue quite complex."

"Complex… how?" Adam asked curiously.

"I don't approve of the whole situation but if the lovers are around the same age but one's a teacher and one's a student then it shouldn't really be an issue but the school board won't see it that way."

"Then not a word." Adam said.

Fairy Godmother nodded before disappearing in a whirl of fairy dust, leaving the former king and queen to exchange worried looks.

* * *

Carlos skidded into the student newspaper office with just seconds to spare.

" _Hurry up, people!"_ ordered Claire, the daughter of Hercules' two best friends Cassandra and Icarus and the editor of the student newspaper. "We need to get this issue out before dinner!" She clapped her hands. "Hurry it up!"

" _Claire!"_

The wiry haired girl turned to see Carlos hurrying towards her.

"Carlos, what are you doing here?"

"I need you to stop the presses."

Claire looked at him. Her wild eyes scanned his face. "Why would I do that? The news of Mal's fainting spell will be all over the news by tomorrow morning."

Carlos grabbed Claire's arm and pulled her into her office. He then bolted the door.

"What the hell?" Claire exclaimed. "Let me out!" She barged her way to the door and jiggled the knob hard.

"Not until you stop the newspaper from going to print." Carlos raised his dark eyebrows.

"Why should I? This is the biggest story Auradon Prep has had since Ben's coronation."

Carlos sighed, trying to keep his temper under control. While he wasn't know for his temper, Carlos was known to yell and scream whenever his friends were trouble or being threatened.

"What do you think Ben and Fairy Godmother will say when they find out that you've printed something that is private? Do you _want_ to lose your job as editor? Or would you rather face the wrath of your Uncle Herc and your parents? Do you really think the headline: _King Ben's girlfriend faints at school Tourney game_ is going to widen your chances of a career as a journalist?"

Claire considered her couple of options and didn't seem to like any of them. She even thought Carlos' swipe at creating a sample headline sucked.

"Well?" Carlos said his arms crossed over his chest.

"Fine. The issue won't mention _anything_ about Mal's fainting spell but mark my words, Carlos, the news of Auradon's future queen's pass out will spark rumors. _I_ will not be held responsible for that."

Carlos nodded. "Show me that you are going to stop the presses."

Claire clenched her jaw and pushed past Cruella De Vil's son on her way to the door as he unlocked it. Carlos followed her from the office. She re-entered the main office space. "Okay everyone," she clapped her hands, prompting her colleagues to turn from what they were doing. "There has been a change of plans. The 'Mal faints' story is NOT to be printed!"

The other members of the paper sighed in relief.

"Thank god for that." Muttered Pip Pan who exchanged relieved looks with Micah Darling.

Claire looked over her shoulder at Carlos who still had his arms crossed. "Happy?"

Carlos grinned. "Very.

* * *

Jay had his phone to his ear as he listened to Carlos tell him what had gone down at the newspaper office. He was outside the infirmary while Gia was still working out what had happened to Mal.

"Thanks for letting me know, C. I'll let Gia and Fairy Godmother know."

" _What about Evie, Doug and Ben?"_

"Fairy Godmother will need to be told first. She'll probably then tell Ben's parents."

" _I can swing by the chemistry lab and tell Evie and Doug if you want."_

"That would be great."

" _You didn't answer when I asked about Ben."_ Carlos stated flatly.

"I'll have Gia sort him out. If there's anyone that break the news gently to our favorite king, it's her."

" _Hmm. I guess I'd better go tell Evie and Doug."_

"Yeah and be sure to tell Jane, Lonnie and the others if you see them." Jay said.

" _Will do, bro. Bye."_

"Bye." Jay pulled the phone away from his ear and disconnected the call. With a sigh, he turned back to the infirmary door, pushed it open and re-entered.

* * *

Gia looked up when she heard the door open and saw Jay re-enter.

"How is she?" Jay asked as he closed the door and rejoined her.

"Still can't get a read on what's going on with her magic." Gia muttered.

Jay could see that she was exhausted. "You look tired. How long exactly have you been at this?"

"My magic's almost spent. About two and a half hours. But, I can manage."

Jay sighed and raised his hands over Mal's unconscious body. He could see she was slowly improving. Her breathing was no longer shallow and her complexion was slowly returning to its normal colouring.

"What did Carlos say?"

"He was able to stop Claire from having the article printed but not the newspaper which is fine seeing as Auradon Prep can't do without its newspaper three times a day. But at least Mal's fainting incident isn't in the limelight."

"You know," Gia said as she moved her hands slightly so they were resting above Mal's chest. "When I was a student here, we only were allowed to have the newspaper printed five days a week and only two times a day."

"Really?" Jay asked.

"Yep."

"What cheapskates." Jay struggled not to snort.

There was silence for a moment before Gia's hands stilled.

"What is it?" Jay asked as he moved closer.

Gia's hands had stopped over Mal's forehead. She tried pulling her hands away but found it difficult. "I think I found the reason why Mal passed out."

* * *

Evie and Doug were listening to Carlos as they finished up the potion they had been making for Mal's recovery.

"I cannot believe you just threatened Hercules' goddaughter." Doug snorted.

"I don't think Cassandra would mind," Evie said. "I've heard she's a little bit ditzy because of her prophecies."

"What about Icarus?" Carlos frowned.

"Icarus is as nutty as a fruit cake. Legend has it that he flew too close to the sun." Doug said as he pushed a stopper into the top of the test tube.

"So why isn't Claire like her parents?" Carlos asked.

"Every child is different to their parents, Carlos," Doug said matter-of-factly. "I mean look at me for example. Am I as dopey as my dad?"

"Ah no," Carlo said. "You're one of the smartest people I know."

Evie's eyes darted between her boyfriend and friend.

"Another example would be say, Aziz. Is he a thief like his dad use to be? Is he as stubborn as his mother?"

"Not that I know of," Carlos said uncertainly. "I don't know Aziz all that well."

"Bad example then."

"A better example would be me," Evie said. "Am I as vain and vengeful as my mother?"

"No. You're sweetest and kindest person I know, Ev." Carlos said blushing.

Evie beamed and reached over to kiss Carlos on the cheek causing him to go even redder. "Thanks C. We need to get this vial back to Gia. Come on boys." She led Doug and Carlos to the door.

* * *

Gia and Jay looked up when they smelt Fairy dust. Unlike Pixie dust that was created by Tinkerbell and her friends in Pixie Hollow, Fairy dust had a smell to it. It reminded Gia of sulfur.

"How is she?" Fairy Godmother asked as she crouched down next to Jay.

"We've got her stablised but we're having trouble pinpointing what's wrong. I can tell you, she's not pregnant."

"That's a relief," Jay said. "If she was, I'd kill Ben with my bare hands. No guy lays a finger on Mal _or_ Evie-" Jay didn't get to finish his rant as the door to the infirmary opened, revealing a rather exhausted looking Evie and Doug with Carlos coming up the rear.

"How'd you go with the potion?" Gia asked.

"I think we got it right." Evie said uncertainly.

"Fingers crossed." Carlos said showing that he had indeed crossed his fingers.

Doug walked around and crouched beside Gia. He had the vial of potion in his hand.

"Ev, I need you to force Mal's mouth open so Doug can pour the potion into her mouth."

Evie looked a little green at the idea but did as she was told. She took hold of Mal's jaw and nose and forced her mouth to stay open.

Doug pulled the stopper out of the vial and poured its contents down Mal's throat.

Evie let her best friend's jaw snap shut.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Fairy Godmother had gestured for the kids to step back a few paces.

Mal's body began to spasm and turned a sickly shade of green before her body stilled. Mal issued a deep gasp but her eyes didn't fly open. Her breathing returned to normal and her colouring returned to its normal pigmentation.

"She's going to be alright." Fair Godmother sighed. She patted Gia on the shoulder. "A job well done, Gia, dear."

Gia felt her shoulders slump in exhaustion. Her magic was well and truly spent now. It would take her few hours to recover but she knew she had just enough magic to transport herself back to Castle Beast to tell Ben the good news.

"Are you going to be able to get home?" Fairy Godmother asked kindly. "I can send you if you like."

Gia shook her head. "It's fine, FG. I can manage."

"You sure, G?" Evie asked.

Gia gave Evil Queen's daughter a kind smile. "I'll be fine to get home. I might have enough magic to send myself home."

"Rest your powers for a few hours Gia. Come back when you feel better." Fairy Godmother advised.

Gia nodded. "Okay." She then turned her attention to Evie, Carlos, Jay and Doug. "I need you guys to do something for me."

"Anything," Jay said. "Just name it."

"I need you to watch over Mal. She'll be out of it for a while and the quieter the environment the faster she'll recover."

"Question." Carlos said. "How are we going to get Mal back to the dorm without being seen?"

"I can help there." Fairy Godmother said. With a snap of her fingers, Mal disappeared.

"Ah, what about us?" Carlos said.

Gia narrowed her eyes and sighed. She snapped her own fingers and the four disappeared. "Much better." She then turned to Fairy Godmother.

"Go back to the castle. I'm sure Ben will want to know what's going on." Fairy Godmother said.

Gia was hesitant. "What do I do if he tries to make a beeline for the dorms?"

"Stop him. Talk some sense into him. If there's one person who can talk sense into that king of ours, it's you."

"I'll do what I can."

"Very well dear." Fairy Godmother nodded.

Gia bowed her head and disappeared.

* * *

Ben stood at his bedroom window, his mother standing at his shoulder. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were red. He'd been crying which was something he very rarely did. Adam stood off to the side, watching his son and wife carefully.

"Darling, it's going to be alright." Belle said encouragingly.

Ben turned to look at her. "What if it's not, mom? I can't lose her."

Belle squeezed her distressed son's shoulder. She hated seeing him like this. She knew how much he loved Mal and how much he was praying she was going to be okay.

Mother and son turned when they heard door creak open. Gia walked looking positively exhausted. She was bare foot, indicating she had kicked off her shoes before she had entered the room.

"How is she?" Ben asked a little too quickly as he moved away from the window.

"She's going to be fine." Gia told him with a small smile.

Ben's shoulder slumped in relief. "Oh thank god."

"What happened exactly?" Adam asked.

"I have reason to believe that Mal may have experienced what is known to magic users as Magical Fatigue."

Adam, Ben and Belle exchanged looks.

"What exactly is that?" Belle asked.

"It's basically where an individual's magic shuts off," Gia explained. She then turned to Ben. "Ben, has Mal been using magic in the last twenty-four hours?"

Ben had to think hard. "I think she was using magic this morning at breakfast. She was showing Jane how to do something."

"Was there any time before that you can remember?" Gia asked.

"Not that I know of." Ben said, puzzled. "Why?"

"To experience Magical Fatigue, the individual in question must burn up a hell of a lot of magic over a certain period of time. Maybe Mal was using magic in her dorm room."

"That's a possibility," Belle said. "Darling," she said as she turned to Ben. "Message Evie. She might know something."

"Great idea, mom." Ben said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. As he texted he absently made his way to the door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?"

Ben looked up to see Gia blocking his path to the door. Her arms were crossed and her expression was unreadable. Ben cursed. Damn having a sister with magical powers! "I'm going to see Mal."

"No, you aren't. You're staying here." Gia said firmly. When Ben started to argue she cut across him. "I know you wanna be there. I get that but you're not going to be able to anyway."

"Why?"

"I've tasked Evie and the boys to guard the room. You can go and see her tomorrow."

Ben looked to his parents who promptly shook their heads.

"Gia's right, son," Adam said. "Mal needs her rest and it's best if Evie and the boys tend to that." He then turned to Gia. "Gia?"

"Yeah?"

"Be sure to find a way to stop Ben from sneaking back to school."

Ben's eyes widened as his father gave him a pointed look. The king went to protest but found himself unable to move. "Seriously, G?" He struggled.

"Don't bother trying to struggle because the spell will only wind tighter around you." Gia said dismissively. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What was that spell? Oh yeah." She raised her hands and started to chant. _"Life's spindle, do not linger, make his majesty remain subtle."_

Ben felt himself being pulled back a few steps. He threw Gia a distasteful look. "That spell doesn't rhyme."

"Okay part of it did. That's not the point, Ben. Mal wouldn't want you worrying about her."

"It's my _job_ to worry!" Ben cried.

Gia sighed and released Ben from her woven spell. "Stay here." She said sternly. "Evie and the boys are on dorm guard duty and they have specific orders not to let anyone, including you, into the dorm. Mal needs rest. She can't recover with you fawning over her."

Ben appeared offended while his parents had to struggle to hold back their laughter because of the looks their son was giving Gia.

"I'm just glad she's not pregnant." Gia sighed dramatically.

Now it was Adam's turn to throw disbelieving looks at his foster daughter and son.

"Did you and Mal…?"

Ben turned to look wide-eyed at his father. "What?! No! I'm not like Chad!" He then turned his wrath on Gia. "I can't believe you'd even suggest such a thing! I'm not like that, Gianna."

Gia had to hold back a retort at the use of her full name. Instead she said, "I know you're not."

"We haven't even gone _there._ "

Gia looked over at Adam and Belle who looked equally as relieved as she felt.

"Good, because we don't need an illegitimate child running around before you both turn eighteen. Then where would we be?"

"Don't worry," Ben reassured her and his parents. "Mal and I are taking things slow. That's the way we prefer it."

"Now _that_ is something I think we can all be happy about." Adam said before going silent.

"What?" Gia asked.

Adam sniffed the air and licked his lips. "Mmm. I think Mrs. Potts has just finished her weekly baking ritual."

"Yeah," Ben agreed. "I think I smell White Chocolate muffins."

"And Blueberry muffins." Belle added.

"And is that what we think it is?" Ben and Gia gave each other sly smiles.

Adam's eyes widened. "Lemon cakes!" he then turned and bolted out of the door with his family at his heels.

* * *

Evie sat at her sewing machine, trying to catch up on the work she had been meaning to finish since the first day of school. Sitting on the floor were Jay and Carlos who were occupying their time with playing UNO with Doug.

Mal was still out cold. Her friends were glad she was going to be okay but it was Ben they were worried about. They knew he would drop everything to be at Mal's side. They loved that Ben cared but they felt that their friend the king was _too_ caring and didn't think of the bigger picture. Auradon had to be his main concern but he didn't think like that.

"I hope Gia can keep Ben at the castle." Evie said looking up from her sewing machine.

"We hope you're right, Ev." Carlos said as he stroked Dude's head that had ended up coming to rest on his knee.

"Yeah," Jay sighed. "I love that Ben cares for Mal but he cares a little _too_ much."

"I agree but I think there might be more at play." Evie said looking down at the boys.

"What do you mean?" Doug asked.

Evie sighed. "There is something I am going to tell you but you can't tell Mal that I told you three."

Doug, Carlos and Jay nodded.

"Okay. When Ben sent us back to the island after Audrey and Chad started that rumor about us, Mal told me that she dreamed of Ben."

"So?" Jay said.

Evie elaborated. "Before we embarked on our quest to find Maleficent's dragon eye scepter, Mal had a dream of being at the Enchanted Lake with a boy who was a prince and claimed to be her friend."

"Ben." Carlos and Jay said unison.

Evie nodded and continued, looking over at Doug to continue.

"When you all got back to Auradon, Evie pulled me aside and told me what Mal had told her. I then remembered Ben telling me about a dream that he had had. We both realised how similar they were."

"How similar?" Jay asked uneasily.

"From what Doug told me, Ben's dream entailed him falling into a hole on the Isle of the Lost and being helped out by a purple haired girl." Evie said.

"Mal." Carlos said a bit too loudly. He looked over his shoulder to see that Mal hadn't woken up.

"What does have to do with anything?" Jay said dismissively.

Carlos elbowed him in the arm.

Jay rubbed his arm.

"Doug and I did some digging and found that it a sign of someone connecting to their soul mates."

Carlos stopped scratching Dude's head.

Jay stared at Evie like she was crazy.

"Mal and Ben are soul mates?" Carlos asked slowly.

"It would explain a few things." Evie said.

"What things?" Jay gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"Well, remember when we first arrived in Auradon? There was a moment where Mal and Ben could only stare at each other like there was a spark between them."

"Ben was with Audrey at the time, though." Jay muttered.

"I know but I think their relationship was on the verge of collapse at the time anyway. Audrey smothered Ben. That I have say was overwhelming." Evie screwed up her face to show her discomfort of having to relive the memory.

"It would also explain Mal and Ben's need to be constantly near each other." Carlos added.

"Just about to say that," said Evie. "But yes. I was thinking the same thing."

"I cannot believe our little Mal is not so little anymore." Jay said pursing his lips together.

Carlos, Doug and Evie looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"You didn't just go there did you, bro?" Carlos snorted.

Jay grabbed a sheet of ripped out sketchbook page that Evie had scrunched up and thrown on the floor and chucked it at Carlos' head.

Carlos gave his best friend a steely look.

"What?" Jay shrugged and raised his hands. "The Mal _I_ knew growing up was _never_ lovey-dovey. Being in Auradon has changed her."

"I think being in Auradon has changed all of us," Evie said as if her words were a total understatement. "We're all dating someone, aren't we?" The boys nodded. Doug issued Evie a smile. "But I think of all of us, Mal has changed the most and I think we have Ben to thank for that."

* * *

Ben, Gia, Belle and Adam were all sitting on the floor of the East Wing living room with a Scrabble board in front of them. Gia, Belle and Adam wanted to distract Ben from what Mal was going through and they thought playing games he loved growing up with be ideal.

While Ben, Gia and Belle were playing, Adam had the most updated version of the Scrabble Dictionary in his hands.

Playing Scrabble in the royal family was a big thing. At times it got _really_ competitive and there were often arguments. It was a known fact within in the royal household that when it came to Scrabble someone _always_ cheated which was why Cogsworth had gone out and bought the Scrabble dictionary.

"Is 'Doat' even a word?" Gia frowned as she looked at the word Ben had just placed down on the board.

Ben looked up at her, his expression blank.

Adam flicked through the dictionary and found the word. "Yep, it's a word."

Gia clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Trust Adam to side with Ben.

For another hour, the family continued to play with Belle winning the game. "And the bookworm takes the chocolate trophy, haha." The former queen laughed as she reached for the block of chocolate that Adam had been holding out.

"Why is it the bookworm is _always_ victorious?" Gia asked as Ben picked up the letter tiles and put them back in the box.

Belle shrugged. "Never underestimate a bookworm, dear."

"Got that right." Ben muttered as he reached for the lid of the box.

"I'd listen to them if I were you." Adam muttered.

"I love you all too." Gia said sarcastically.

* * *

Jay half hung off his bed while Carlos did some last minute research.

"Come on dude," Jay groaned. "What is _so_ important that you have to look it up now?"

Carlos ignored him for a moment. "I found something."

"What?"

"On Magical Fatigue."

Jay sat up, suddenly interested. "What does it say?"

"It says everything Gia told us."

Jay's face fell.

"But, I did find this. Listen. _Magical Fatigue occurs when magic has been used excessively._ Here's something Gia failed to mention. _Not only does MF affect naturally born magical users, it also affects those who wield magic through artificial means."_

"Artificial means?" Jay said before he realised what Carlos was referring to. "Gia's locket. That is the source of her power like Maleficent's scepter was hers."

"Ah, couldn't Maleficent wield magic the natural way too?" Carlos questioned.

"Yeah. Maleficent is a fairy," said Jay. "Though, from what I remember Mal telling me, her mom was much more powerful _with_ her scepter then what she was _without_ it."

"So what Mal said was true? Her mother's scepter was the main source of Maleficent's power?"

"Yep. I thought you knew all this."

"I did but I forgot." Carlos answered sheepishly.

"So what do we do now?" Jay asked.

"I suppose we wait and see what tomorrow brings." Carlos answered.

* * *

Early the next morning Evie was up bright and early doing her normal beauty routine. Mal still hadn't woken up but there was evidence she was going back to her old self. She had tossed and turned at least a couple of times throughout the night and the bedclothes were all over the place and Mal's hair was an absolute mess.

As Evie applied her makeup she heard groans coming from Mal's bed. Getting up, Evie hurried over to her best friend.

Mal rolled onto her back and inched her eyes open to see Evie hovering over her. "Hi E." She groaned.

"Mal, thank god." Evie sighed in relief.

Mal groaned again. "What happened? Why do I feel like I've been hit by a car?"

"You don't remember?"

Mal was silent for a moment. "I remember feeling faint at the Tourney game and then I remember fainting."

"That you did."

"What happened while I was out of it?"

"Everybody freaked out. Ben was frantic."

"Ben?! Where is he?" Mal eyes grew with panic rising in her throat.

"Relax, M. Ben's at home in the castle with Gia keeping careful watch over him."

Mal relaxed a little. She felt and heard her stomach grumble and apparently, so had Evie.

"You hungry? I can bring us back breakfast."

"That would be great. The last time I ate was yesterday morning."

Evie chuckled as she turned and headed for the door. "I'll bring back your favorites."

Mal nodded and watched as Evie headed for the door before slumping back into her pillows.

* * *

Gia and Ben had just arrived at school after having breakfast at Tiana's Palace.

"You sure you don't need me to go with you up to the girls' dorms?" Gia asked.

"I'll be fine." Ben assured her.

"Okay but be wary, darling. You might not like what you find."

Gia's words weren't exactly reassuring but Ben made himself look braver then he felt.

"Okay," Gia nodded. "Off you go and if you need me, you know where to find me, yeah?"

Ben nodded before heading in the direction of the dorms while Gia headed for the administration block.

* * *

Evie had just left to fetch breakfast, leaving Mal by herself.

There was a knock on the door causing Mal to look up. "Come in." She called.

The door opened to reveal Ben.

"Oh thank god." The king sighed in relief as he closed the door and hurried over to his girlfriend's side. "How are you feeling?"

Mal chuckled. "And a very good morning to you too. I'm feeling better."

Ben perched at the edge of the bed. "Gia really does know what she's doing."

"You didn't have any faith in her?" Mal asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I never said I didn't." Ben chuckled. "I thought I lost you."

Mal smiled and reached up to cup his cheek. "You'll _never_ lose me. Ever. Evie will _never_ let that happen."

Ben snorted. Remind me to never underestimate her."

Mal smiled.

The door to the dorm opened revealing a struggling Evie who was carrying two trays of food.

"Here Ev, let me help." Ben jumped up and hurried over to help Evie.

"Thanks Ben." Evie said gratefully as she handed Ben the tray she was about to drop.

The pair took the few steps over to the bed and placed the trays down.

"Eat up." Evie said cheerfully to Mal. "I made sure there was plenty for all of us as I knew you'd be coming up here." Evie said to Ben.

"You didn't run into Gia, did you?" Ben asked.

"No, I didn't. Why?"

Ben shrugged. "No reason." He then heard his stomach grumble. He hadn't eaten the night before because had been so caught up in his worry over Mal and he had picked at his breakfast when he had been with Gia earlier over at Tiana's Palace.

Evie wasn't convinced but let it go. She knew arguing with Ben would get nowhere, given everything that had happened over the last day and a bit. She set the other tray down next to Mal and pulled up chairs for herself and Ben.

"You sure you got enough food, E?" Mal teased her best friend. "What have you been doing? Staking out what I can and can't eat?"

Evie gave her a hard look. "No, I haven't. I knew Ben would be hungry so I thought I would bring up extra."

"Are you even allowed to bring food up here?" Mal asked as she took a bite of a blueberry muffin that Ben had bought over from the tray he had taken from Evie.

"Yeah," Ben said before Evie could answer. "We 'sneak' food up here all the time. The teachers are fine with food in the rooms as long as we clean up afterwards."

Mal nodded and continued to eat.

Evie picked up a cheese croissant and bit into it, the cheese oozing from it. "I love French cuisine." She moaned as she took another bite.

"Well, if you like those," said Ben slyly. 'Then you'll love…" Ben looked over at Mal who had cleared her throat and was giving him a look of warning. His shoulders slumped.

"What?" Evie said as she popped the last of her croissant into her mouth.

Ben shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's not breakfast appropriate."

"What's not breakfast appropriate?" Evie asked as she looked at Mal, hoping she would explain.

"He's referring to escargot (AKA snails), frog legs and other French food."

Evie nearly choked on the apple she had just bitten into. "Frog legs?" she croaked.

Ben threw a look of disgust at Mal who smirked into her cup of black coffee. He then gave Evie an apologetic look. "Unfortunately, the food the French like isn't exactly what you call delectable."

Evie could feel her face go green. "I suddenly don't feel so well." She pushed away her plate.

"Now you've done it." Mal muttered to Ben.

Evie climbed out of her chair and made her way over to her bed where her backpack was sitting. She stuffed the last of her supplies into the bag before pulling it onto her back. "I'm off to class." She mumbled as she headed for the door.

"Ah, Ev?" Ben said causing Mal's best friend to face him. "It's Saturday."

Evie shrugged and left to the room, eager to get the mentions of frog legs and snails out of her hearing range.

"That got rid of her."

Ben turned to see Mal smirking mischievously at him. "You _intentionally_ told her about French cuisine just to get me alone?"

Mal nodded, still smiling. She snapped her fingers and the food trays disappeared.

Ben kicked off his shoes and pulled himself up onto the bed beside her.

Mal reached for him not bothering to think twice about kissing him.

Ben allowed Mal to kiss him. After the hell she had been put through in the last twenty-four hours, she needed a distraction and he knew he could provide that. She needed comfort. He could tell just frightened she was. He knew that she needed him to be there for her. He was more then happy to do that. After all, she had been there for him during the first few months of his reign as king and she was still was. She was his main support outside of his family and friends.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." He gently scolded her as he broke the kiss, their foreheads and noses still touching.

Mal looked at him straight in the eyes, fearful. She knew his scolding was gentle but it scared her. She had scared him and she didn't like doing that. She loved him far too much. "I'm sorry." She whimpered.

Ben pulled her close, allowing her to bury her head in his chest with her arms tightening around him. "I know you didn't mean it." He whispered.

Mal nodded into his chest.

Ben let go of her for a second and climbed over her so that his back was to the wall. He pulled her into his arms and she relaxed.

Mal had always felt safe in Ben's arms. To have him at her side while she was recovering from something she hadn't even known could happen to her, she felt grateful. No. She felt happy. No guy had ever had this affect on her before and to have Ben in her life, she couldn't have felt luckily.

As much as Ben wanted to crawl under the covers with her, he knew it would only start rumors if someone walked in on them. It was safer if he remained on top of the covers. All he wanted was for Mal to recover. If he had to stay in this room until she was then so be it. He didn't care if Evie, Jay and Carlos tried to drag him out kicking and screaming. Mal was his life and he somehow knew, deep down that she was going to be in his life for a _very_ long time.

* * *

 _There you have it. So just a little info on Cassandra and Icarus for those of you who aren't up to par with your Disney lore. In the 90's after the release of Hercules, Disney made a tv series chronicling Hercules' adventures while he was training with Phil, meaning the events of the series take during the 'One Last Hope' musical sequence where we see Herc age. In the series, Herc had two best friends Icarus and Cassandra, both of whom play important parts in Herc's training even though we don't see them in the film. I always loved them as characters and for anyone who is interested, if you look on YouTube, people have been able to get their hands on most of the episodes of the show and have posted them up. I've seen a few of them and have really enjoyed them having seen them when I was a kid._

 _So next chapter continues on from this one. We may even get Audrey's insight on the whole fainting incident. Maybe even Chad's. Who knows?_

 _To be Continued..._


	10. Worries

**A/N:** _Hi all! I know, it's late. I was supposed to have this up a few days ago but I couldn't get it finished. So, as I promised, this chapter does contain a bit of the story from Audrey and Chad's perspectives and picks up where the last chapter finished. Also, this chapter is the first time, Ally, Alice in Wonderland's daughter appears but only very briefly. She will have a very minor role in this story. I also added in Aurora and Hercules in this chapter too. Gia's appearance in this chapter is only very small as this chapter doesn't actually focus on her at all. Also, this chapter is the shortest chapter I have written for this story, thus far. The chapters will get longer again... eventually. Also, there will be a few errors in this chapter like there was in the last one because I only went over the chapter once when I was editing as I wanted to get this up tonight. I do have to warn you all though. There is a bit of coarse language in this chapter but it's not over the top.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: Worries**

* * *

" _I'm worried about Mal,"_ said Evie. It was lunchtime and the group was gathered at their normal picnic table with the only two not present being Ben and Mal. "I know she's going to be fine but part of me wonders."

"Have you spoken to Ben about it?" Jordan asked. Since Audrey spent the weekends at home with her family, Jordan, who had a good relationship with the VKs and their AK friends hung out with them but only on the weekends to avoid any blow ups that might occur if Audrey knew that she associated with VKs.

Evie shook her head. "No. He's just as worried about her as I am."

"Hey, speaking of Ben, where is he?" Alice in Wonderland's daughter, Ally asked looking around.

"The last I saw him, he was with Mal in our dorm." Evie said.

Carlos rose from his seat. "I'll go check on her if you like, Ev. I've gotta go and check on Dude anyway."

Evie nodded prompting Carlos to move away from the table.

* * *

The walk back to the dorms was quiet but Carlos liked the peace and quiet that came from campus on the weekend.

Carlos had found himself changing in the time he and his friends had been in Auradon. He had found himself with an amazing girl who was a lot like him, shy, awkward but fiercely loyal to her friends. He liked that about Jane and had forgiven her after what she had said about Mal in the aftermath of Family Day. He knew that Mal's hair spell had given Fairy Godmother's daughter a negative factor confidence boost and it had gone to her head. Carlos knew of course that his mother would _never_ have approved of Jane like Maleficent would _never_ accept Mal's relationship with Ben.

Finding himself in the dorms building, Carlos went and checked on Dude in his and Jay's room. Seeing that his canine companion was fine, Carlos shut the door and ventured over to the girls room.

* * *

What Carlos found in Mal and Evie's room wasn't surprising.

Making sure to be quiet, he slowly pushed the door open and poked his head into the room. His eyes went directly to Mal's bed where he saw Ben and Mal curled up together asleep. Taking out his phone, he snapped a quick picture and sent it to Evie and Jay with the caption, _'Don't send to anyone else. Mal's fine. Ben's with her. Hence Exhibit A. As soon as you read this message, delete it. We don't need this getting out to the public.'_

A second later Evie texted back. _'Aww! How sweet! I'm coming up.'_

After a moment of waiting, Carlos came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to get a response back from Jay so he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Five minutes later, Evie arrived on the scene. "Have they woken up yet?"

"Not that I know of. Where's Jay?"

"He said to apologise for not being able to come up. He got a last minute text from Aziz."

"Why would Aziz being texting him on a weekend?"

"Something about Tourney tactics." Evie frowned and shook her head. "Honestly. You boys and Tourney."

Carlos ignored her comment and said, "Did you delete the message and the photo?"

"Yep. I made sure all evidence of the photo is gone."

"Good. Now, look." Carlos turned to the door. Evie stepped to the door and slowly turned the handle before pushing the door open slightly.

"Aww." Evie cooed quietly at what she was seeing. "They're adorable together."

Mal and Ben hadn't moved from their place on Mal's bed.

Evie pulled her head out of the doorway and shut the door again.

"This can't get out." Carlos said. "If the whole school finds out that Ben and Mal are sleeping together, and not in the way you're thinking of, then there's going to be trouble."

"I agree," Evie nodded. "But what can we do? We can't lock them in the room."

"No we can't," Carlos agreed. "There has to be another way to… hold on. Do you have your mirror on you?"

Evie reached for her bag and pulled out her hand mirror. "Yeah. Why?"

"We can use it to keep an eye on them." Carlos said

"There's a flaw in your plan, C," Evie said causing Carlos to look at her. "We can't use the mirror all the time. Plus, what if someone looked over our shoulders, saw what we were seeing, and then told everybody?"

Carlos blinked, apparently not having thought through quite as far in the plan. "Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought of that. Um, now what do we do?"

"We can still use the mirror but we have to be sneaky about it."

Carlos nodded.

* * *

Inside the room, Ben and Mal started to stir from their nap.

"We fell asleep." Ben mumbled.

Mal groaned, not wanting the moment to end. Her eyes snapped open when she heard arguing on the other side of the dorm door. She pulled herself free of Ben's grip before heading silently over to the door. Counting backwards, she twisted the handle of the door and pulled it open to reveal a bickering Evie and Carlos.

"…Your idea is now _totally_ invalid."

Mal cleared her throat.

Evie and Carlos immediately stopped their argument.

Mal raised an eyebrow.

"M, you're awake!" Evie exclaimed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Behind Mal, Ben was just pulling himself into a sitting position at the edge of her bed.

"And a big hello to you too, E," Mal grinned evilly. "What were you two arguing about?"

Carlos and Evie looked at each other like they had just been electrocuted.

Quickly, both relaxed.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Carlos said tightly. "How are you feeling?"

Mal gave him the stink eye. "I'm fine. But thank you for caring." She said sweetly.

Carlos shuddered. If there was one creepy thing he hated it, was Mal being sickly sweet. Being in love had gotten to her.

"Okay, M, sweetness won't get you anywhere. How are you _really_ feeling?"

"Better," Mal nodded. "I feel like I can do laps on the sprint track."

From his place on Mal's bed, Ben chuckled.

"Hi Ben." Evie called into the room not looking at him.

"Hi Evie." Ben said sounding uncomfortable at having been caught out.

"Sleep well, man?" Carlos jokingly called into the room.

Mal grabbed Carlos and Evie by the arms and pulled them roughly into the room, closing the door as they entered.

"What was that for?" Carlos protested as he stumbled into the room.

"Do you two _have_ to be so loud? I'm willing to bet that half the school knows about this by now." Mal hissed at her two friends.

"They don't," Carlos shook his head. "I made sure that Claire didn't print an article on your fainting incident or about anything _else_ for that matter."

Mal gave him a hard look. "Claire? As in Hercules and Megara's goddaughter, Claire? Remind me again who her parents are." She turned to Ben who was now standing beside her.

"Cassandra and Icarus, Herc's two best friends from his days at Prometheus Academy. Great place, I might add."

"You've been there?" Mal asked in disbelief.

"Once. Icarus _insisted_ that mom, dad and I take a weeklong vacation to Greece."

"What no Gia?" Carlos snorted.

"Gia was in the middle of her senior year so she couldn't go anywhere. She was really disappointed as she's a _massive_ Greece fan and I'm not talking about the musical."

Evie, Mal and Carlos looked at each other, confused.

"I'll explain it to you later." Ben brushed off their confusion.

Suddenly there was a bright golden glow causing the group of teens to go temporarily blind for a moment. When they regained their sight, they found themselves standing in front of a handsome man with reddish hair, a headband keeping his hair in place. He was wearing what appeared to Greek armor.

"Hey kids." The man greeted with a smile that Evie would have described as sweet.

"Hey Herc," Ben greeted. "What brings you here?"

"My niece is what brings me here."

"Claire is your niece?" Carlos asked.

Hercules chuckled. "You must be Carlos. Claire mentioned your love of knowledge." He smirked when he caught Carlos blushing. "I also think Claire has a crush on you."

At Hercules' comment, Ben, Mal and Evie exchanged amused looks.

"Don't worry son," Hercules said kindly. "There's a lot more to Claire then her 'all seeing, no hearing' attitude. She's my goddaughter but I see her parents as the brother and sister that I never really had."

"What did Cass and Icarus say when they found out about Claire's near blunder?" Ben smirked, exchanging looks with Mal who giggled.

"Icarus said that Claire was merely going through a phase while Cass wasn't happy. She said she would have come herself but she had a prophecy to deal with and Icarus was too busy helping his dad so they asked me to come instead."

"Well, your godliness," Mal said sweetly. "Allow us to show you to Claire."

"I like you… Mal, right?" Mal nodded. "You remind me a little bit of myself at your age."

"Do I really?" Mal asked in surprise.

"I was always willing to help others regardless if they wanted it. It was part of my training to become a hero. Phil made sure to drum that into me."

Mal looked at Ben who offered her a small smile. "Let me get changed first and then we'll show you to Claire."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

" _But Uncle Herc, I didn't mean-"_

Hercules, Mal, Carlos, Evie and Ben were standing in Claire's office in the student newspaper office with their arms crossed. When the newspaper staff had seen that Claire's godfather had arrived, they had made themselves scarce. Something about honoring a god or something along those lines.

"Claire, you know better then to spread gossip," Herc scolded his goddaughter. "Especially when it's about the possible future Queen of Auradon."

Mal's mouth opened and closed but no words came out. She had heard a _lot_ of people say that she was going to be Queen of Auradon someday but until that happened, she didn't believe it. She looked over at Ben who was too busy watching the exchange between Hercules and Claire.

Claire clenched her jaw and bowed her head. "Yes, uncle." She muttered.

"Now, apologise to Mal."

"But I haven't done anything!"

"Claire." Hercules said sternly raising his eyebrows.

"Sorry, Mal. Sorry, Carlos. Sorry, Ben. Sorry Evie."

"Technically," said Evie. "You don't need to apologise to _me._ You didn't do anything wrong by me. Or by Carlos but I do have something that you might want to publish." She dug around in her bag until she found want she was looking for. She pulled out a USB drive and handed it to Claire.

Claire looked at the USB drive. "What's on it?"

"You'll find out. It's better then posting gossip."

Claire nodded and slipped the device into the pocket of her Greek inspired dress. "We done here?" she asked impatiently.

"Not just yet," Ben said slowly stringing the words out. "I think Auradon Prep could use with a lesson in not spreading gossip and rumors." He looked over at Mal who appeared to know _exactly_ what he was referring to.

* * *

Audrey and Chad sat at their indoor breakfast table in the cafeteria. It was now Monday morning and the entire school seemed to be caught up in not only the fashion concepts that Evie had so kindly asked Claire to publish in the fashion section of the newspaper, but the article that Claire had published on the front page as well.

Chad shook his head. He knew who was behind this and apparently, so did Audrey. "I knew this was going to happen." The prince spat.

Audrey had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at her boyfriend. "Of course you did."

"Ben needs to pay."

Inside her heart of hearts, she secretly knew that spreading that rumor the year before hadn't been a good idea. She hated Mal, there was no denying it but there were other ways to make the daughter of her own mother's worst enemy pay. She thought back to Friday's Tourney game where Mal had passed out. What had that been about? The thought that Mal was pregnant was out seeing as Ben was too 'traditional' when it came the whole 'sex before marriage' debacle. Audrey knew of course, that Belle and Beast had drummed that into him from a young age. She also knew that Gia would never let him live it down either. So what could have happened that had caused Mal to pass out? Had she faked it just to get attention? Was it a ploy to get Auradon Prep to sympathise with her and her evil friends?

" _Audrey?"_

Audrey snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Chad's voice. "Huh?"

"I said that we need to give Ben and that wretch of his a taste of their own medicine."

There was a look on Chad's face that Audrey didn't like but she kept her thoughts to herself. "Like what?"

"Like… another rumor?"

Audrey gave him a disbelieving look. "That is _totally_ unoriginal. We already set off _one_ rumor. Look at where that got us."

"It got you suspended from cheerleading and everything that you love doing."

 _Gia had every right to suspend me from extra-curricular activities,_ she thought but said instead, "You're right. We need to make Mal and her friends pay and that _includes_ our fellow Auradonians."

Chad was slightly taken aback by Audrey's desire for revenge. "There is one thing I can't get my head around," he said causing Audrey to raise an eyebrow. "What was with the whole fainting act on Friday? It would be downright sinful if that wretch was pregnant with Ben's kid."

Audrey bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she should speak up but she did anyway. "Mal isn't pregnant."

"What makes you think so?"

Audrey shrugged. "You know Ben as well as I do. He's too pure to knock a girl up. He'll wait until marriage to do that."

" _She_ could have seduced him into bed." Chad said thoughtfully.

Audrey inwardly tensed. "It could have been a number of things." She dismissed. She just hoped that Chad hadn't heard her dismissive tone.

Chad's now hatred for Ben was at an all time high. Once upon a time Chad and Ben had been as thick as thieves. After all, they had grown up together with Audrey, Doug, Jane and the rest of the AKs but since Ben had made his first proclamation, things had been tense between them. Chad had made it quite clear that he hadn't liked the idea of the VKs being in Auradon.

After the incident involving Evie's near expulsion, Ben made it quite clear that no one was to mess with the VKs. Chad hadn't liked that and had taken to trying to show everybody just how like their parents the VKs were by trying to expose them at Family day which had neither succeed but nor had it failed. A lot of people had been left conflicted by the matter with many not knowing which side to pick.

After the coronation, Chad and Ben had ignored each other and it had stayed that way except for the incident involving the rumor and the small tussles on the Tourney Field.

Chad hadn't been happy when Audrey had been suspended from cheerleading but what made him even more pissed was his mother cornering him and pestering him about the rumor and how he had treated the VKs. Though he couldn't prove it, he knew Gia was behind it.

 _That bitch!_ Cinderella's son mentally cursed. Why hadn't he realised it before? The woman just wouldn't stay out of royal business. Oh wait. In the eyes of Auradon, Gia _was_ royalty via adoption. She is the Lady of Auradon, after all.

Lady of Auradon. What did that even entail? To Chad, it entailed telling people what to do and acting as the King's personal lap dog. If _he_ were king, he wouldn't even have an advisor the way Ben or his father did. Plus, what guy would even have a _female_ best friend serving as their majordomo? Chad didn't know. To him, girls were merely playthings who had no right to serve as anything when it came to royal protocol.

Audrey watched the troubled expression cloud her boyfriend's face.

Boyfriend.

Chad was more like a rebound from her rather 'brutal' break-up from Ben. Or at least, that's how she thought of it. Thinking back to the way Ben had reacted to Mal's so-called fainting act, he never would have reacted that way if Audrey herself had of faked it.

If there was one thing Audrey had learned over the last year it was to watch what you say around anyone who actually supported Ben's proclamation _and_ his relationship with Maleficent's spawn. Despite Ben being totally over her, Audrey felt cheated out of a relationship that hadn't, at least for her, even ended.

A part of her still loved Ben but also, part of her still wanted to get revenge on Mal for stealing him and constantly foiling her plans to win Ben back. Also, a secret part of her told her that Mal _wasn't_ fully to blame for her foiled plans. The Lady of Auradon herself, Gia, was also partially responsible.

It was no secret that Audrey and Gia had it in for each other. They had hated each other since the moment they had met on Ben's first day of kindergarten. Gia had gone along with Belle and Adam to support Ben on his first day of school. It had also happened to be Audrey's first day too and she had barged into Gia with her backpack and hadn't apologised for it.

All throughout their childhoods, the pair had constantly argued and the rift between them had only grown larger. Ben had tried playing Switzerland between them but it hadn't worked. Also, all hell had broken loose when Ben had announced at dinner one night that he and Audrey had been dating.

Gia had thrown curses at him like there had been no tomorrow. It had taken Belle, Adam, Mrs. Potts, Lumière and Cogsworth to calm her down afterwards while Chip had been sent to comfort a slightly traumatized Ben. The curses had been awful and it hadn't just been verbal curses. It had been actual hexes, jinxes and other magical nasties as well.

Audrey had loved the story that had unfolded from that. Ben had told her that his foster sister obviously didn't approve of them being together. Nowadays, she did whatever she could to piss Gia off. Gia, however, knew her style too well and knew how to kick her ass.

With a defeated sigh, Audrey looked over to where the original VKs sat laughing with their AK friends.

* * *

Mal looked down at the newspaper article in front of her. Ben had asked Claire to write an article about how bad creating rumors and spreading gossip could be. She could feel Audrey and Chad's eyes on her back but she ignored them. She had to admit that Claire knew the subject of rumor and gossip all too well. Her mother after all was the prophet Cassandra who, according to her nephew and godson Hank, liked to gossip and spread rumors of her own.

Ben, who was sitting next to her, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "I have to admit," he said as he scanned the page Mal was reading. "Claire's outdone herself this time."

"She should get an award." Jay muttered as he too read the newspaper he was sharing with Lonnie and Doug.

"She's won the 'Auradon Young Journalist of the Year' award twice," Lonnie said looking up from her reading. "She knows her stuff."

"Sorry, I'm late," Evie said as she skidded to a halt at the table and planted herself next to Ben. "Miss Flora asked me to help her plan Aurora's dress for King Stefan's birthday party."

Mal's head shot up. "You're helping the Good Fairies make a dress for Audrey's mom?"

"That's what I said, M," Evie said. "Weren't you listening?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Lonnie asked.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked.

Lonnie looked at Evie like she had lost several brain cells.

"What?" Evie questioned.

"E, we know you're Flora's best student but remember? Aurora hates us." Mal exploded.

"So?" Evie said. "If I do a good job on this dress, there could be a chance that Aurora might just forgive us. It could even convince Audrey that we aren't all bad."

The gathered VKs and AKs looked around at each other. In a lot of ways, Evie had a valid point. A good word from Flora and her sisters could get the VKs into Queen Aurora's good books and possibly even Audrey's if she saw what a good job Evie had done on her mother's dress. Queen Leah might even change her views but it all could go horribly pear-shaped if something happened or was said out of context.

"Just be careful Evie," Ben warned. "Things with Audrey's family is already tense."

"Does Stefan count?" Doug asked.

"Nope. Stefan will never change his views. He _actually_ believes in redemption. He's on our side."

"I always liked him," Lonnie mused. "He was always really nice to me."

Doug and Ben nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he knows how tell his family where to-"

"Okay!" Mal interrupted. "Can we get back to the situation at hand?"

"Which one?" Jay snorted. "Evie's dressmaking debacle or Claire's article?"

" _How about both of them?"_

The group turned to their heads to see Carlos and Jane hurrying towards the table with Dude not fair behind them.

"How much of that did you hear?" Ben asked as the couple sat down.

"Just the bit about Evie making Queen Aurora's dress," said Jane as she practically slammed her tray down one the table, scaring the living daylights out of Doug. "NOT a good idea."

"Why does anyone say that? What could be _sooo_ bad about making a dress for Queen Aurora?"

"She's a picky woman." Jane said.

"So? My mom's a picky woman too. Plus, I've got Flora giving me directions."

Mal snorted. "Since when do you, the great Princess Evelyn, daughter of the Evil Queen need directions in creating a dress for _anybody?"_

"Since I know this could be our one chance to impress Aurora?" Evie said sheepishly. "Come on Mal, this could your one chance to seek forgiveness from your mother's enemy. Isn't it worth a shot?"

Mal looked at her best friend to see that Evie was practically pleading with her. As much as she loved and adored Evie, she knew her friends were bound to back Evie up in their arguments. Groaning and rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Alright, fine but please be careful, E."

* * *

As it turned out, Evie's dress was total success with Aurora. She loved it so much that she had asked who had made it and Flora had told her that it was Evil Queen's daughter who made it. Aurora had been surprised and had decided to pay Evie a surprise visit.

Evie was in the fashion design room when there was a knock on the door. "Come in." she called. It felt strange telling someone they could enter a classroom.

The door opened revealing a beautiful woman who to Evie, looked incredibly familiar. She looked liked an older version of Audrey, only with blonde hair.

"Sorry, I was looking for Evie and I was told she might be in here." Aurora said as she closed the classroom door.

"I'm Evie. How can I help you?" Evie said, unsure of whether she should curtsey.

"My name's Aurora. I was told by my fairy friend Flora that you made the dress I wore to my father's birthday party a couple of days ago."

Evie blushed. "Oh, yeah, that was me."

Aurora could see that Evie was visibly uncomfortable.

Evie bit her lip. She remembered the stories that she had heard from Mal about how much her mother HATED Aurora and had tried to kill her with a spinning wheel needle.

"I came to thank you, my dear," Aurora said gently. "You have an eye for design, Evie. I have never seen anyone design anything quite as unique as you have." Audrey's mother stepped over to where Evie was sitting and took the seat opposite her.

"I'm glad you like it, Your Majesty." Evie gave a small smile.

"Aurora will do, my dear."

"Aurora it is then."

Aurora nodded. "Rumor has it," Evie stiffened. "That you are friends with Maleficent's daughter." She smiled kindly.

"Yeah. Mal." Evie nodded as she absently tapped the end of her pencil on her sketchbook.

"What's she like?" Aurora asked curiously.

Aurora's comment took Evie by surprise. "Mal's sweet. She's one of the best artists I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She's everything you could possibly want in a best friend."

Aurora appeared thoughtful. "She is not like Maleficent?"

"No. She tried to be like her mother but found, she couldn't. She always believed that there was something 'wrong' with her for not being as evil as her mother." Evie found she wanted to say more but suppressed what she wanted to actually say.

"I know there have been a lot of misconceptions about the villain kids," Aurora said thoughtfully. "I myself have thought that all VKs are like their parents."

"We VKs thought the same thing about the AKs at first," Evie blurted before covering her mouth with her hands. Aurora smiled but said nothing. "I guess there's more then meets the eye with the kids of hero and villains, huh?" Evie said as she lowered her hands from her mouth.

"I guess there would be," Aurora said with genuine nod. "I understand the way you think, Evie."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. I was raised by fairies all because Maleficent wanted to curse me because my own parents didn't invite her to my christening. Honestly, Maleficent had the problem with my _parents._ Not me. Why she even wanted me _dead_ is beyond me."

Evie knew what Aurora meant. Evil Queen was called what she was for one reason. She had married Snow White's father and become queen only to discover that her husband's daughter was to be the next queen when he died and was deemed 'the fairest of them all.' Evil Queen's vendetta should have been with her husband, not her stepdaughter.

"I agree. My own mother was angry and vengeful because her husband, who isn't my father by the way, wanted his own daughter to be queen as well as the 'fairest of them all'. She should never have taken out her anger on Snow White. She was just an innocent pawn in her plan like you were in Maleficent's."

Aurora was taken aback at how open-minded Evie was when it came to her opinions on her mother and Maleficent. She didn't have to second-guess whether Mal's view on Maleficent was the reason why Evie viewed her with the same distain.

"I don't blame Mal for what her mother did to me."

Evie looked up, startled. "You don't?"

"No," Aurora shook her head. "I don't blame her for anything. If there was something that my fairy friends taught me it was to never blame someone who was never at fault to begin with."

Evie blinked. "Yeah, that's… right."

Aurora smiled warmly. "I never thought I'd say this, but my mother and daughter were very wrong about you and your friends, Evie."

"Did you know that Audrey's 'forgiveness' towards Mal was an act at Ben's coronation?" Evie asked carefully.

"Yes, I did. I knew she was up to something the moment she went down in that curtsey. I am so sorry for the way Audrey has acted towards you all. Like I mentioned before, my parents never got to raise me and they wanted to make up for that with Audrey. My mother, however, has Audrey wrapped around her little finger. I know it's a horrid thing to say about your own mother but it's true. At first, I didn't mind her and my father helping in raising my daughter but now, I think it was a bad idea. Audrey holds a grudge. As does my mother. I remember what happened on Family Day last year and at the time, I thought you all got what you deserved. However, I know now that I was wrong to judge you all because of who your parents are and I will be forever sorry."

"What about Audrey, Queen Leah and Philip?" Evie asked as she tried to take in what Aurora was trying to tell her.

"Oh," Aurora chuckled. "I can handle them. As can my father. I believe that Gia did a noble thing in suspending Audrey from cheerleading. Audrey shouldn't have helped Chad in spreading that rumor."

"So what are you going to do now?" Evie asked.

"I'm going to go see Belle and Adam and see what I can do to help protect Ben and Mal."

Evie nodded, impressed. "You know Mal is incredibly sorry for breaking Audrey and Ben up."

"I know. Also, I think I speak for all people when I say that Audrey's cutesy nicknames of 'Benny bear' and 'Benny boo' were getting a little over the top."

"The nicknames grossed Mal out but she does use 'Benny boo' on occasion." Evie said thoughtfully.

Aurora laughed. "I'm glad that Mal and Ben are together."

"You are?" Evie said in surprise.

"Yes, I saw them together at the coronation and I think they are better together then what Ben and Audrey ever were."

"Well, I think Mal will be _very_ happy to hear that."

Aurora smiled and laughed.

* * *

" _I'm sorry, Aurora did WHAT?"_ Mal asked.

It was after dinner and Evie had skipped to get her work completed. She had arrived back at the dorm and spoken to Mal who had just come out of the bathroom with her toothbrush in her hand and toothpaste covering her mouth so it looked liked she had rabies.

"She apologised for everything Audrey has done to us." Evie said for what felt like the four hundredth time. "She's a really nice person. She's not as bad Ben and Gia have made her out to be."

Mal was finding this hard to believe. "E, you really are gullible at times. It could have been an act."

"If it had been an act, Mal, then she would never have given me this." She pulled a necklace from her bag and handed it to Mal.

"What is this? No. Better question. _Where_ did you get this?" Mal asked as she examined it. It was pretty, no doubt. It was silver with a pendant that looked suspiciously like Maleficent's horns.

"Aurora, who else? Look, my point is, maybe we were wrong about Aurora. Maybe _Ben and Gia_ were wrong about her too."

"Maybe." Mal said as she continued to examine the trinket. She walked over to her bed and picked up her new messenger bag that Gia had given her a few days earlier and slipped it over her head.

"Where you going?" Evie asked.

"To get this," Mal held up the necklace. "Checked over by Gia."

"Are you sure that you aren't being paranoid?" Evie asked.

Mal gave her a hard look before marching to the door and slipping out into the hall.

* * *

" _This is safe. There is no hexes or curses on it."_

Mal took the necklace from Gia. They were in the Lady of Auradon's office in the admin office block of Auradon Prep.

"You sure?" Mal said as she stuffed the pendant and chain back into her bag.

"Positive. I triple checked it just in case. Where did you get it anyway?"

"Evie. She had a surprise visit today in the shape of Audrey's mom, Queen Aurora herself."

Gia raised her eyebrows. "I got a call earlier from Belle saying that Aurora had been to see her and Adam. Something about wanting to protect you and Ben from Audrey and Chad's wrath. I was in too much shock to be paying attention quite honestly."

"You know Evie's dress wowed her, right?" Mal asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well aware. The photos from the party have been littering my social media pages all morning. They're all trending too."

"Evie must be _really_ happy about that. She's never had any of her outfits trend on social media before."

"Does what she wore in the image of her almost 'killing' Audrey with her exposing cupcakes count?" Gia teased.

Mal gave her a hard look. "The exploding cupcakes were partially my fault. I was the one that cast the partial spell on the cupcakes."

"True." Gia beamed. "Rest assured that the necklace isn't cursed. In fact, there's going to be a party at the castle this weekend." Gia said, changing the subject halfway through the sentence.

"What's the party for?" Mal asked.

"Nothing special. It's just a get together that Belle and Adam have each year with a few of their closest friends and that includes a few of the sidekicks. The party last year was pushed forward because of my trip away and Ben's coronation. Plus, last year we had to endure Audrey's non-stop chatter about what she was going to wear to the coronation and blah, blah, blah. So, will you come? I think Ben will appreciate it and you can bring your friends. A lot of AKs are going to be there."

Mal thought about it for a moment. "Sure. I could do with a night out." She turned towards the door, her bag swinging with her. "I'll be sure to tell the others. See ya."

"Bye Mal."

Gia watched as Mal slipped out of her office.

* * *

Ben sat at his desk in the dorm room he shared with Doug.

Despite the fact he was now king, he had chosen to remain in the dorms at school. He didn't want people to think that he had suddenly turned into a _snobby_ royal who cared little about his subjects.

The door of the room opened, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hey Ben," Doug greeted as he entered the room. "How's your homework treating you?"

Ben groaned. "Hey Doug."

"That bad, huh?" Doug said as he put his bag on his bed complete with his trumpet case.

"I've got so much stuff I need to get done by tomorrow morning. I never thought being king was going to be so stressful."

"For a sixteen-year-old king it would be. Honestly, I don't know how you manage it." Doug said as he sat down on his bed.

"I honestly don't know how I do it either. I hope this gets easier as I get older."

Doug pursed his lips and nodded. "Oh! I got a text from Evie earlier."

"Oh?" Ben turned around in his chair, interested.

"According to what Mal told her, there's a party at the castle this weekend."

"Oh! Mom and dad's annual hero and sidekick get together! I totally forgot about it. What _did_ Mal tell Evie?"

"From what Evie mentioned, Gia told Mal that she, meaning Mal, needs the distraction and by the look of things, so do you. You need to get out of this room."

"I get out of the room." Ben argued.

"Yes, for classes and meals. That's it. Come on, man. Live a little. Plus, it might lessen Gia's worrying over you."

Ben sighed and looked at his male best friend. He couldn't believe just how lucky he was to have such a great guy best friend in his life. He and Doug had always been close. They had known each other since Kindergarten where Ben had stopped bullies from picking on Doug because he had glasses on the first day.

Now that they were teenagers, Ben and Doug had a lot more in common. They were both nerdy to some degree with them both liking books and knowledge. They were both good at the subjects their fellow classmates considered pointless and stupid, Chemistry and History, respectively. They were both also dating VKs who just so happen to be best friends. Life was good for them.

Doug wasn't like any of the princelings that Auradon Prep had at its disposal. He wasn't royalty at all but Ben didn't care. To him, Doug was one of his best friends. Sure, Gia would _always_ be his best, best friend but it was nice to have a friend that he could talk to who was the same gender. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Gia worries about _everything."_ Ben whined.

"Can you blame her?" Doug snorted as he shoved his trumpet case under his bed. "She's not just your best friend, Ben. She's also your majordomo _and_ I might add, your big sister."

"True but she worries too much."

"I can understand why though, Ben. You're king now and I think she feels that she's losing her baby brother."

The thought hit Ben like a ton of bricks. "You really think that's why she's overbearing?"

"I think so. But Ben, don't you think that your parents' party will be the ideal distraction? It will give you the chance to hang out with Mal." Doug practically sang.

The mention of Mal made Ben brighten up. "I think you're right, Doug. I can't let all this stuff get the better of me. It doesn't matter whether my work is school or country based. I _need_ to get out of this room."

Doug smiled. "That's the spirit. Now, I've gotta go."

"Where're you going?"

"I've got a music lesson with Aunt Snow in like ten minutes."

"See you later, yeah?" Ben said as Doug nodded and headed for the door. He failed to notice that Doug hadn't taken his trumpet with him.

* * *

 _Okay so there you have it. So now Ben and Mal need to be de-stressed and a party is ideal for that. So, next chapter is Belle and Beast's party. A lot of this chapter wasn't intentionally written. It just came to me and I had to write it down before I forgot about it. The party chapter wasn't originally planned either but stories change all the time right? Anyway, Cassandra and Icarus will make an appearance next chapter and Aziz will FINALLY make an appearance but it will be very small. Also, there will be a bit of Jay and Gia action next chapter too._

 _To be continued..._


	11. Party Dilemmas

**A/N:** _Hi all! I know its been a while. I've been busy as hell. So this chapter has a lot going on with Belle and Beast's Heroes and Sidekicks Party. As I promised, Meg, Cassandra, Icarus and Aziz are introduced in this chapter. Also, I've introduced Aurora and Phil in this chapter. Originally, Aurora and Mal were going to meet in a much later chapter but I decided to have them meet in this chapter. Also, Phil was a last minute addition as I love him as a character. As for the characterisation for Cassandra, Icarus and Meg, I think I screwed the characterisations up. Please tell me if I have. I found them hard to write for some reason. As promised, there is a little bit of Gia and Jay mush at the end of this chapter. I introduced one of Doug's cousins in this chapter. Originally, I had a scene that I cut out where Doug texts two of his cousins. One of them is in this chapter still but the other one I cut out and will appear later. Also, Rapunzel and Eugene are in this chapter in a cameo appearance. In other words, there are a handful of cameos from other characters in this chapter including Milo Thatch's buddies, Vinny and Audrey who will play vital roles a lot later in the story.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Party Dilemmas**

* * *

Evie was frantic. She had searched her closet for what seemed like the millionth time and she couldn't find anything to wear to Belle and Adam's Heroes and Sidekicks party.

" _E, what are you doing?"_

Evie turned to see Mal watching her.

"M. How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, about five minutes." Mal said as she sauntered into the room and went over to her own closet.

It was now midday Wednesday and both Evie and Mal had a free period from class.

"You do realise that the party isn't until Saturday night, right?" Mal said as she pulled her closet door open.

"Yeah, I know," Evie said. "But I want to be prepared."

"You know Doug's parents are going to be there." Mal said knowingly.

Evie yelped. She had every bit of respect for Doug's parents but she still felt she had to impress them after everything her mother had done to Snow White.

"Evie," Mal walked over and grabbed Evie by the shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing her. "Everything is going to be fine. You don't need to prove to Dopey and Nadine that you aren't Evil Queen. They already know you're not."

Evie looked at her best friend mournfully. "I wish I felt the same way." She said looking defeated as she moved to sit down on her bed.

Mal walked over and joined her. "Ev," she said using Jay, Carlos, Gia and Ben's nickname for her. "Doug loves you just as you are. Dopey and Nadine do too. Remember, they asked you to stay with them on various weekends at Academics Day."

"I know but," She licked her lips. "I can't shake the feeling."

Mal wrapped an arm around Evie's shoulders and gave her a side hug. Evie rested her head on Mal's shoulder.

"I just want them to accept me without my mother's legacy hanging over my head."

Mal stroked Evie's hair. "They will, E. Look at me and Ben. Belle, Adam and Gia accept me."

Evie sniffed and lifted her head from Mal's shoulder. "You don't have any quarrel with Belle and Adam. I do; well my mother does with Dopey at least."

"Oh Evie," Mal pulled her best friend into another tight hug. "Dopey and Nadine love you. They think of you as a daughter."

"They've only met me once. Who knows what Snow White told them about me."

"Well, Snow doesn't know you. Doug does."

Evie returned her head to Mal's shoulder and sighed.

* * *

Ben hadn't quite finished his homework when there was a knock on the dorm door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing Doug's cousin, Selina.

Selina was at least a head shorter then Doug and was dressed in her father Sleepy's signature dark green. Her black hair was streaked with the same shade of green

"Hey Ben," Selina greeted with a smile. Like Doug, Selina had grown up with Ben and thought of him as a brother, mostly because she was an only child. "I was wondering if I could ask for your help on something."

"Hey Sel. Of course but it depends on what you're planning."

Selina gave him the stink eye. "What makes you think I'm planning anything?"

"I know you, Selina." Ben said as he started sorting out his homework. "But be my guest. What's up?"

Selina sat down on Doug's bed. "I'm here on Doug's behalf."

"Oh?"

"He needs your help."

"With what?"

Selina bit her lip. "You know how your parents' Heroes and Sidekicks party is this weekend?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, I just spoke to Doug and he's worried that the party could turn into Family Day 2.0."

Ben frowned. "I thought Doug had a music lesson with Snow."

"He, ah, kinda lied about that."

Ben sighed. He should have known. "Okay. What does he need help with?"

"He wants Evie and the VKs to feel welcomed at the party and not outsiders."

If Ben had to guess, Doug wanted to do this for more Evie's benefit, then anyone else's. "I think I can call in a few favors."

* * *

" _That's a very noble thing you're doing, dear."_ Belle said to Ben. _"I'd be more then happy to help."_

Ben had rang his mother at home to ask her to call in a few favors for him. He would have done it himself but his teachers apparently had had other plans. He hadn't realised that he had more homework that needed to be done.

"Thanks mom, you're the greatest."

" _Don't get too use to it,"_ Belle said. _"One day though, you will have to do this yourself."_

"I know but Doug really needed the help and you know I couldn't say no."

" _I know how you feel, darling. I have never been about to say no to Mrs. Potts. She's always seen me as a daughter."_

Ben knew his mother's word rang true. Mrs. Potts had always treated everyone with kindness even if they were mean. Plus, he knew Mrs. Potts _adored_ Mal and the VKs.

"True. Thanks for helping out mom."

" _No worries, darling. I'll be sure to tell Mrs. Potts and the staff. They will be glad to help."_

"Thanks, Mom. I'll talk to you later."

" _Bye darling."_

The call disconnected.

Ben put his phone down on the desk and thought for a moment. Inviting the VKs to his parents' party wasn't such a bad idea. It would show that the VKs were good and it would also show many of the older generation that he loved Mal and that Doug loved Evie. How bad could it be?

* * *

" _I don't have anything to wear!"_ screeched Mal as she threw item after item out of her closest.

It was now Saturday morning. Belle and Adam's party was going to be that night.

Evie had to duck and dodge the clothes that were flying at her over her best friend's shoulder.

"Calm down, Mal. We'll find you something to wear." Evie said in an attempt to comfort her best friend.

Evie hadn't been able to find anything suitable so she'd settled for the dress she had worn on Family Day. It was one of her favourites but it also brought back memories of that day. Memories, she had learned to ignore.

Mal had poured through her wardrobe at least a dozen times and had found nothing. From what Ben had told her, the party was as low key as they got when it came to the Royal family. It was invitation only and there would be zero paparazzi there. Ben had also mentioned that they had the best head of security in Auradon in the form of Milo and Kida Thatch's friends Vinny and Audrey. He had said it lightly seeing as the main head of security was Gia.

Mal had had to do a double take when Ben had mentioned Audrey. She had thought he had meant _Aurora's_ daughter Audrey. Ben had laughed at her saying that there was more then _one_ Audrey in Auradon.

Audrey Ramirez-Sweet was a kind soul and the biggest tomboy Ben and Gia had ever known. She had grown up with a sister who had gone on to become a middle-weight-boxing champion. Audrey was also known to be feisty which is what Ben claimed had made Doctor Sweet fall for her to begin with. Trust the rightful King of Auradon to be a hopeless romantic.

Audrey and Sweet had a daughter, Jessa who was an odd cross between both her parents. She was a tomboy like her mother but she had the potential to going into medicine like her dad.

"Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorin was a whole different story. According to Ben, Vinny's role in Milo's expedition to Atlantis was 'demolitions expert'.

From what Mal could remember Ben telling her, Vinny had once run a flower shop only for it to go up in a fireball when the Chinese Laundry next door had gone up in flames. After that, Vinny had claimed that the Chinese Laundry going up in flames had been 'like a sign from god' and he had found his true calling.

Vinny's daughter, Val was in Evie's Chemistry class and had a habit of nearly blowing up the lab every lesson. It was pure luck that it hadn't gotten her expelled. She had been threatened with expulsion several times by Delay who was getting sick of his lab nearly been blown up lesson after lesson but nothing had happened. Fairy Godmother had said that Val was one of the school's best students and that she just needed to 'calm' her explosive ways.

"I know who might be able to help you." Evie said picking up her phone.

"Who?" Mal asked.

"Gia. She is _the_ Queen of Fashion in Auradon. If there is one person who can help, it's her."

"What? No. I can't go to Gia for help." Mal said as if she were almost scared of the idea.

"And why not? She is practically your sister-in-law." Evie said, her hands going to her hips.

"Like you said," Mal said, in a bold attempt to be brave. "She is Auradon's Queen of Fashion. There is no way she is going to help me."

Evie looked at her like she had lost it. "Mal, Gia adores you. She sees you as a little sister. _Of course_ she's going to help you."

Mal didn't look too sure. "I don't know, E."

Evie bit her lip. She had never seen Mal look so nervous. She thought Mal's first date with Ben had been bad but this was worse. This was a party with royalty that were friends of Ben's parents. Evie knew that Mal was desperate to make a good impression.

"You are going to do fine. I know you want to impress every royal that is going to be there but just be Mal. The same Mal that we all know and love, okay?"

Mal could have rolled her eyes at Evie but she didn't. If there was one thing Evie was good at, it was making her feel better. She had done it before Mal's first date with Ben and she had even done it before the coronation. Evie was just the person to ease her nerves who _wasn't_ Ben.

Thinking back to the way she had treated Evie while they had been on the Isle of the Lost, Mal knew now that it hadn't been all Evie's fault that she hadn't been invited to Evie's birthday parties. Evil Queen was just as guilty. She had forgiven Evie for everything she had had tried to do to her. Evie had told her not to worry about it and that she was _totally_ forgiven. Mal had been grateful that Evie was so forgiving and nice about everything. She knew now that the only people Evie would _ever_ have issues with was Audrey and Chad.

Having been in Auradon with Evie for almost a full year, Mal had come to realise that Evie was the ideal friend. The two friends had become almost inseparable. They also had boyfriends who were best friends with one of them being Auradon's king and the other being the honorary nephew of Evie's stepsister Snow White.

Mal sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll go see Gia." With a snap of her fingers she disappeared.

Evie crossed her arms in satisfaction and grinned before returning to her own party preparation.

* * *

Mal found herself in the familiar winding halls of Castle Beast. She had come to think of the place as a second home given the amount of time she spent here. Knowing her way to Gia's room, she made her way down the halls, being careful not to alert anyone to her presence.

Everybody in the castle knew her name and were bound to alert Ben to her presence if they spotted her. Mal couldn't have that, at least not yet. She needed Gia's help. She would see Ben that night and she wanted to surprise him.

* * *

Gia was just coming out of her wardrobe when there was a knock at her door.

Going to the door and opening it, Gia wasn't surprised when she found Mal outside.

"Mal," the Lady of Auradon said stepping aside. "Come in."

Mal walked in. "Sorry to disturb you. I know you're busy getting ready for tonight's party."

"Not at all. Actually, I knew you'd be coming to see me today at some point."

Mal spun to face her. "You did?"

Gia grinned and nodded. "I had a feeling Evie would send you up here."

"Did you read her mind or something?"

Gia chuckled. "No. I can't read minds."

"But you can read Ben's mind."

"That's a little bit different. Ben and I have a telepathic link that we only use in emergency situations."

Mal looked at her in amusement.

"I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Just a little. Can you help me? I have nothing to wear tonight, like at all."

"You want to impress Ben, huh?"

Mal looked at Gia sheepishly. "How'd you guess?"

Gia smiled. "Love will do that to you. I have come to know you well over the last year, Mal. Do you know what my conclusion is?"

"No. What?"

"Ben doesn't care what you wear. He thinks you're beautiful in anything. But if I had to second guess, I would say that you also want to impress the royals that are going to be at the party, correct?"

"Yes?" Mal's expression was still sheepish.

"I think I can arrange something. You and I are about the same size so finding something for you to wear shouldn't be hard," Gia grabbed Mal by the hand. "Come on."

Dragging Mal towards her closet, Gia stopped when they stepped inside the seemingly cramped space.

"Ah, why are we crammed inside your closet?" Mal asked as she tried to move items of clothing out of her face.

"You think this is _my closet_?" Gia laughed.

Mal looked at her in confusion.

Gia lifted her chin. "Turn around."

Mal turned and gasped at what she saw. Gia's closet was _huge!_ It was as if there was a shopping mall built into the space. The walls were covered with clothing racks with an assortment of dresses, tops, pants and shoes for every occasion.

"This is amazing." Mal said as she as looked around wide eyed.

"It might be amazing but even I'm pressed for what to wear."

Mal turned to look at Gia over her shoulder. "You? But you're the Lady of Auradon. You have every outfit under the sun. How could you be pressed for what to wear?"

"I might be the Lady of Auradon but I don't pretend to know the limits of fashion."

Mal looked about ready to protest. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something. She turned to her right and saw a purple and black one sleeve, off the shoulder dress. "Whoa."

Gia stepped up beside her. "Perfect." With a flick of her hand, the dress disappeared from its hanger and appeared on Mal.

"Whoa. Powerful magic." Mal murmured as she moved over to the floor length mirror that was behind her. "I look…"

"Amazing." Gia said thoughtfully as she stepped up beside her, tapping her own chin.

"What?" Mal asked looking over at Gia's thoughtfully expression.

"Something's missing." Gia pointed to Mal's feet and strappy leather sandal-like heels appeared. She then looked up into the mirror to see that Mal's hair still needed to be styled. With a snap of her fingers, Gia watched as Mal's hair changed from sitting at her shoulders to a messy updo. Just for good measure, a thin shiny browband appeared and sat across Maleficent's daughter's forehead. " _Now_ , it's perfect."

Mal was in shock at her appearance. "I look like…"

"A queen." Gia beamed at her through the mirror.

"I'm just Maleficent's daughter." Mal muttered.

"No," Gia shook her head. "You're the girl my darling brother loves. His once and future queen."

"You're quoting the whole 'Guinevere' thing, aren't you?"

Gia smiled as she walked around and stood behind Mal, her hands resting on the teenager's shoulders. "Maybe." They shared a giggle. "Ben is going to be amazed."

"You think so?"

"I know my brother."

Looking down into the mirror, Gia noticed something she had missed. "Oh damn."

"What?"

Gia grabbed Mal's hand to examine her fingers. "No, this won't do. Black is too… villainy. White will suffice."

"White? But black is the only colour I can wear on my nails without them looking trashy."

Gia ignored her and focused. After a moment, Mal's black nail polished fingers on both hands reverted to white. "Much better." Snapping her fingers again, Mal's new outfit vanished but the nail polish remained. "I sent your new outfit to Evie back in the dorms. She'll know what to do."

"Great, thanks." Mal said before tackling Gia in a tight hug.

Gia was surprised by Mal's sudden burst of affection. She was quick to hug her back.

"Thank you for having faith in me." Mal whispered as she hugged Gia tighter.

Gia returned the embrace equally as tightly. "You're welcome." She released her. "Go. I'm sure Evie will be just dying to find the right makeup for you."

Mal quivered. "I hate makeup." She muttered as she screwed up her face.

"It pays to have a best friend who is the daughter of the most vain villain in existence."

"I never thought of it that way." Mal said, her face lighting up.

"Well if you're looking to impress Ben, I suggest you get back to Miss Evie."

"Um, I used a transportation spell to get here. I don't think I've got enough strength to get back on my own."

Gia grinned. "I'll send you back." With a flick of her wrist, Mal disappeared.

* * *

" _This is a gorgeous dress!"_ Evie cooed. _"And the accessories are to die for."_

Mal had gotten back to the dorm safety thanks to Gia's transportation spell. She had even ended up inside the room instead of outside the door like she had thought she would have. She imagined that Gia had gotten enough practice over the years to be able to master the spells she knew for transportation.

"I know, right? So you approve?"

"Do I ever! I'm surprised Gia has other colours in her closet other then red and yellow."

"You should have seen her closest," Mal was giddy just thinking about it. "It was _huge!"_

"How big?" Evie asked.

"Shopping Mall big!"

Evie looked at her incredulously. "Wow. I really have to see this closet for myself." She jumped up and down like an excited child.

Mal had to resist the urge to laugh at her best friend's reaction. Anything fashion related Evie loved and Mal wasn't about to make fun of that. "Are we going to get ready for this party, or what?"

Evie squealed excitedly and clapped her hands.

* * *

" _You've been searching for an outfit for the last two hours."_ Ben whined.

He was sitting on one of the leather benches in Gia's closet.

"Don't me laugh, brother," Gia said in a British accent from behind a changing screen. "If _you_ were under constant scrutiny to look good at _every_ event, you would be pulling out your hair." She walked out from behind the screen wearing what Ben would have described as one of the tightest dresses he had ever seen her wear. "What do you think?" Gia asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"That dress looks _way_ too tight," Ben said as he screwed up his face. "What are you trying to do? Impress the likes of Gaston's goons on the Isle of the Lost?"

Gia's eyes glowed a sick green at the mention of her father.

Ben cringed when he caught the look on her face. "Sorry."

The glow dimmed in Gia's eyes but she continued to scowl at him. "You use my father's name against me again and I swear I will turn you into a cockroach."

"Okay, okay. I said I was sorry." Ben muttered, raising his hands in defeat.

"So, you don't like?" Gia asked, immediately changing the subject back to her dress and walking back behind the screen to change into something else.

"You look beautiful in anything." Ben said in a tone that indicated he was bored out of his mind.

"Seriously? Do you say that to every girl you come across or just the ones you're close to?"

"Just you and Mal." Ben said trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Oh, because we're your sister and girlfriend, respectively?" Gia said as she walked back out from behind the screen. This time she was wearing something much looser. It was floor-length with a deep red scoop neck with a small portion at the back cut out.

"Perfect." Ben smiled.

"Glad you approve." Gia rolled her eyes before snapping her fingers. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid while her makeup was done perfectly.

"Did you end up seeing Mal at all today?" Ben suddenly asked.

The hair on the back of Gia's neck stood up as if she were a cat alerted to trouble. "Don't even try to pry information out of me, Benjamin." Gia snarled as she sat down on the floor to remove her heeled shoes.

"Why are you taking your shoes off?" Ben asked changing the subject again.

Gia gave him a disgruntled look that read, ' _You're seriously the biggest idiot I know.'_ "I can't walk down the stairs in these. They're a trip hazard."

"The almighty Lady Gia of Auradon is _afraid_ of tripping down the stairs in heels?" Ben snorted in amusement. "Since when? You're the most graceful woman I know."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey but these shoes are much higher then the ones you've seen me wear in the past."

"Is there any specific reason _why_ you're wearing them to begin with?" Ben inquired casually.

Gia cast him with an annoyed look. Curse him for being able to read her like a book.

"Has this got to do with Jay?" Ben asked.

Gia bit her lip in an attempt not to look away from him. When Ben raised his eyebrows at her, she relented. "Yes," she groaned. "It has _everything_ to do with Jay. I'm just annoyed that I can't be anywhere near him because we have to keep our relationship secret until he graduates."

Ben had to hold back a snort. "Do you know if your relationship is going to last that long?"

Gia shook her head as she sat down next to him. "I don't know."

Ben wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

Gia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm pathetic."

"No, you're not." Ben said turning his head to kiss her on the cheek. "You're in love. You'll be able to tell people about your relationship one day."

"It's not the simple, Ben," Gia sniffed as she lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. "I have a reputation to uphold."

Ben frowned. "How so?" he asked.

"I'm the Lady of Auradon, Ben. I'm supposed to date noblemen not a VK who just so happens to be Jafar's thieving son."

Ben chuckled and shook his head. " _That's_ what you're worried about? You only became interested in dating last year. G, for as long as I've known you, you've always liked to do things differently. I suppose in a lot of ways, I get that from you."

Gia looked him.

"No one is perfect, G. I hope you know that."

Gia nodded. "Of course I do. Its just having to hide my relationship with Jay is hard."

"Mal mentioned how hard it is for him. I haven't seen so much change in a guy like Jay when it comes to a girl. I think you've been a good influence on him."

Gia grinned. "You think so?"

"I know so." Ben grinned in return. Gia smiled. Ben tapped her arm. "Come on. We've got a party to get to." He rose to his feet and offered her his hand.

Gia took it but not before grabbing her shoes.

* * *

" _Ben is going to be blown away."_ Said Evie as she finished the updo Mal had told her that Gia had done for her earlier.

"You think so?"

"FYI M, I'm dating Ben's best friend."

"Gia?" Mal teased.

"Uh, no. Doug." Evie snorted. "A guy can have a best friend that is a guy, you know."

"I never said he couldn't," Mal said as she stood up, touching the browband that sat across her forehead. She sighed. "I hope tonight goes off without a bang."

"It will," Evie nodded as she pulled Mal into a hug. "Ben will go above and beyond for you. He will make this a night to remember."

Mal hugged Evie tightly. "I know. I love him for that."

Evie grinned and nodded as she released her best friend. "Now come on. Let's go meet the boys."

"Where did you say we were going to meet them?" Mal asked.

"Outside the castle."

"Okay, well let's get going." Mal laughed as Evie held out her arm to her. Mal took it and allowed Evie to pull her out the door.

* * *

Gia walked at Ben's side down the ballroom stairs carrying her heels and the skirt of her dress to avoid it brushing on the floor. Adam and Belle stood at the foot of the stairs and appeared to be having a really intense conversation.

"… _This is a bad idea…"_ Adam said.

"… _This has to be done, darling. It is wise to show a bout of strength…"_ Belle muttered through her teeth when she caught sight of their two children coming towards them.

"Is everything okay?" Ben asked as he and Gia stopped on the second-last step.

Gia slipped on her shoes so she was almost the same height as Ben.

"Yes, dear. Everything's fine." Belle said, but not before giving her husband a stinky look.

Gia looked between her parents. "You sure?"

"Yes, fine." Adam said with a nod. "We have a party to get started."

Ben and Gia exchanged unsatisfied looks but let it go before completing their descent down the stairs.

* * *

Mal and Evie met up with Jay and Carlos outside the castle.

"Wow." Carlos said eyeing the girls.

"Eyes back in your head, dude." Jay said hitting him in the back of the head. "You _have_ a girlfriend."

Carlos rubbed the back of his head.

" _Hey guys!"_

The VKs turned to see Doug and Jane walking towards them.

"Hey Doug. We thought you'd already be inside with your parents." Carlos said as he lowered his hand from the back of his head.

"Nah. The last time I saw them, they were arguing with my sisters. Not much fun to listen to I'll tell you."

Mal and the boys looked between the love-struck expressions on the faces of Doug and Evie as they finally laid eyes on each other.

"And I thought you and Ben were bad." Jay muttered earning himself a sharp jab to the ribs from Mal.

Carlos and Jane had to keep themselves from laughing.

"Can we go inside?" Mal said in a desperate attempt to break the moment up.

"I think that would be best." Carlos agreed as he took Jane's hand and started to pull her up the stairs.

Mal didn't have to be told twice. She grabbed Jay by the arm and pulled him after Carlos and Jane, leaving Evie and Doug still staring at each other.

* * *

Once the group of teens was inside the ballroom, they gasped at the sight of what they saw.

The room was ablaze with colour and life. They could almost feel the history of what this room held to Ben and Gia's parents. The events that transpired before and after Gaston's defeat. The defeat of the villains. The wedding of the century and the formation of the United States of Auradon. Gia's adoption and Ben's birth.

Mal looked around and saw people she recognised. She saw many of her friends from school and their parents, many of whom she knew by name and by appearance even thought most of them she hadn't met.

She saw Doug's parents, Dopey and Nadine as well as his many uncles, aunts and some of his cousins. She even spotted two girls both wearing the same shade purple as Dopey's beanie had been.

" _They're Dopey's daughters, Deidre and Daphne."_ Mal looked over to see Evie had appeared next to her. "Doug's sisters."

"Look at you," Mal smiled. "On face-to-name basis with your future in-laws. Impressive."

Evie giggled with glee. She looked around and pointed where she could see Anxelin and Ruby standing with a couple that looked vaguely familiar. "Are those Anxelin and Ruby's parents?"

"Yeah," Mal nodded, trying to remember her Auradonian history. "Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert. Personally, I prefer his other name, Flynn Rider." She admitted.

"Question," Evie said. "Why do Annie and Ruby have blonde hair and Rapunzel is a brunette?"

Mal thought back to her Auradonian History class and what she had learned about Rapunzel and Eugene. "When Rapunzel's birth mother, Queen Adrianna was pregnant, she got sick and King Frederic, Adrianna's husband and Rapunzel's father had men go out and find a magical golden flower. Of course, Gothel hoarded its power for herself. When the men found it, they crushed the flower up and made the queen drink it. She survived and later gave birth to Rapunzel who was born with golden hair. Long story short, Rapunzel escaped her tower, met Eugene or Flynn as he was known back. Gothel then found out about it and tried to recapture her only to fall out of the tower window to her death but before that happened," Mal paused and pointed to the back of Rapunzel's head. "Rapunzel purposely cut her hair after Gothel stabbed Rider so she couldn't continue using Rapunzel's hair to make herself young anymore."

"Ah," Evie screwed up her nose. "No wonder Gothel looked like an old crone."

"I'm not finished. Mal chuckled. Evie nodded, allowing her friend to continue her story. "Turned out, that even though her hair was now useless, the flower's power still existed through her tears."

"Her tears?" Evie asked. Unlike Mal, she wasn't well educated in the hero's side of the story. Auradonian History was an elective subject and Evie had chosen to take Home Economics instead much to Mal's dismay.

Mal had found the subject fascinating despite it was all sappy damsel-in-distress tales where the prince rescues the princess and falls in love with her at first sight before marrying her. She had often shaken her head at her reason for liking the subject at all. She had gotten her love of history from Ben. Go figure.

"Yeah. Eugene died but Rapunzel's tears brought him back to life. Anyway, a number of years passed. They got married and Anxelin was born first and then Ruby, like I'm sure you already know. I would say, the flower's magic still exists in Rapunzel's veins and it transferred to Annie and Ruby."

"Hence the golden hair." Evie nodded in understanding.

"Exactly."

" _Hey!"_

Evie and Mal turned to see Carlos pulling Jane by the hand towards them.

"Hey," the girls smiled. "Where're Jay and Doug?"

"Not sure," Carlos shrugged. "We think they went looking for Ben and Gia."

As if on cue, the entire room went quiet.

Ben and Gia walked out of the shadows and down towards the middle of the room.

Mal could only gasp at the sight of her potential future sister-in-law. Everything about the Lady of Auradon was perfect. Her makeup was flawless and so was her professionally done hair. Her outfit was also stunning. What Mal envied the most was the idea that Gia looked so natural standing at Ben's side.

Sure, Mal had gotten over her jealousy of Gia's role in Ben's life a long time ago but to see her standing next to him like she was queen made some of those unnecessary feelings come back. It made her wonder if she would ever look just as regal next to Ben if she ever became queen.

Becoming the next Queen of Auradon wasn't something Mal thought about often. She loved Ben more then anything in the world and wanted to grow old with him. Of course, they were a little young to think about things like marriage and children right now. Mal knew that Ben might not have flowed with tradition in the main scheme of things like not getting married until _after_ your eighteen birthday.

Mal shuddered at the prospect of children. She had grown up as the only child of Maleficent who hadn't been the greatest influence. In fact, growing up the closest thing to a _real_ mother that Mal had would have had to be Evil Queen but then again, Maleficent had banished EQ and Evie for ten years because of that stupid birthday party when the girls had been six. EQ had only become motherly towards Mal and the boys _after_ Maleficent had been defeated.

Being the daughter of one of the evilest villains in the known universe didn't exactly waiver brownie points for becoming a parent. Mal didn't know whether _she'd_ be a good parent if the need ever arose. She knew Ben would try to talk her around that she would be _nothing_ like her mother to any children they might have.

"Welcome all." said Gia spreading her arms before dropping them to her sides. Her voice was enough to bring Mal out of her thoughts.

"Over the last twenty years, our parents have held this event annually to show that we as a nation are as strong as the day our father united the kingdoms to form what is today Auradon." Ben said boldly looking over at Gia.

"Well said little brother," she smirked causing some of the audience to either stifle laughs or to chuckle.

Ben grinned back. "You're going to make me pay aren't you?"

Gia rolled her eyes.

Belle and Adam laughed from where they were standing.

"Little brothers," Gia said extending her arms into a shrug. "Can't live with them, can't live without them. Enjoy the evening."

The crowd dispersed leaving Mal and her friends staring at their royal friends in awe.

Ben spotted Mal almost immediately and was at her side in a second.

"Nice speech," Carlos snorted.

Ben rolled his eyes as he held Mal close. "Trust my big sister to ruin the moment."

" _I_ ruined the moment?" Gia exclaimed. "You could have gone overboard with your speech."

"Okay, you two. Can we at least enjoy tonight _without_ any arguments?" Evie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, Miss Evie." Ben and Gia bowed their heads in shame.

* * *

The evening was full of cheer and laughter. The VKs met up with friends and got to meet some of the parents that hadn't been present at Academics Day.

Many of the parents of Auradon Prep's students were in attendance but some of the students weren't.

From where she was standing with Ben, Mal could see Cinderella but Chad and Charming were nowhere in sight.

"Hey, why is Cindy here and Chad and Charming aren't?" Mal asked Ben.

"Chad and Charming weren't invited. Neither were Queen Leah, Audrey and Philip. When mom and dad were writing the guest list, they knew by inviting them it would only cause a war of words so only Ella, Aurora and King Stefan were invited but the rest of their families weren't."

"Wait, Aurora's here?" Mal asked, her voice suddenly turning to panic.

"I thought Evie told you. Aurora has changed her tune when it comes to you and the VKs."

"Really?" Mal asked in surprise.

Ben nodded as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Why don't you go mingle? Go meet some of the other parents."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Mal teased.

"No, I want you to go meet some of the those who support us." Ben told her.

"I can try." Mal sounded uncertain.

"I know you can do this." Ben smiled.

Just one loving gesture from Ben made Mal feel invincible. It made her feel as if she was on top of the world.

"I can do this." Mal said, suddenly feeling confident.

"That's my girl." Ben grinned as he kissed her on the cheek. "Now, get going."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Mal giggled as she kissed him. She smiled over her shoulder at him as she walked away from him. Ben merely shook his head in amusement.

* * *

Belle stood watching from next to Cassandra as Mal interacted with some of the parents. In the last ten minutes alone, the teenager had spoken to Mulan, Grandma Fa, Dopey and Nadine, Genie and Jasmine.

"Who's the purple haired girl?" Cassandra asked.

"Ben's new girlfriend," Belle answered with a smile. "Mal."

Cassandra looked at her. "Maleficent's daughter?"

Belle nodded. "How'd you know?"

"The resemblance isn't exactly lacking." Cassandra said in a monotone.

"She's a great kid, Cassandra."

"In that case, I think I'll go talk to her."

Before Cassandra could take a step, her husband Icarus had beat her to it.

"You know what? Never mind." Cassandra's shoulders slumped.

"Hi there." Icarus said causing Mal to turn away from her conversation with Freddie.

"Hi."

"You must be Ben's new girl, ah?"

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"I saw you earlier. Name's Icarus by the way." Icarus held out a hand.

"Mal." Mal shook his hand.

"So, you're Maleficent's kid."

"Yeah."

"Ben's a good kid, ya know. He really knows how to read people and understand them."

Cassandra face-palmed herself.

Belle gave her friend a sympathetic look.

"Why did I ever marry him?" Cassandra groaned.

"Come on. I want you to meet her." Belle took Cassandra by the arm and led her over to where Mal and Icarus were still talking.

"Mal." Belle said as she and Cassandra approached her.

"Belle, hey." Mal stepped forward to hug Ben's mother.

"How are you, dear?"

"Fine thanks."

"I'm glad. I have someone I want you to meet," Cassandra stepped forward. "Mal, this is Cassandra, Claire's mother."

"Hi." Mal smiled.

"Hey." Cassandra nodded. "I hope Icky-poo isn't driving you nuts with his stories."

"It's okay," Mal said. "I actually like listening to hero stories."

Cassandra turned to Belle. "I like this girl. She reminds me of well, a little of me."

Belle looked over at Mal and shared a grin with her.

* * *

Ben stood with Carlos and Jane watching as Mal did the rounds with the parents. It was surprising at just how engaged in conversation she was with most of them, especially when it came to those who might have the most problem with the supernatural.

"Look at her go," Jane mused as Mal finished up her conversation with Cassandra. "In the time I have known her, I have never seen Mal so happy to talk to heroes."

"It's surprising to me too," Ben agreed. "She was hesitate before but she's getting use to talking to parents that are heroes. I'm proud of her."

"So you should be, man," Carlos said. "What guy wouldn't be proud of their girlfriend facing their biggest fears?"

"He's got a point, Ben." Jane said in a singsong voice.

Ben scowled at her. "Really? You're going there?"

Jane smirked, pleased with herself.

Ben snorted. It was nice to see that Jane was comfortable in teasing him. This time last year would have seen her running for the hills. She was still a little bit shy but since she'd been with Carlos, she'd really opened up.

* * *

Mal loved mingling. There was no questioning it. She had always been a people person in a way. Back on the Isle of the Lost, she was constantly talking to people even if she was threatening them. Here in Auradon, however, she had lost her way when it came to people, all because she was a VK. If it hadn't of been for Ben's prodding, she would have never have seen how lovely some of the parents of her Auradon Prep peers were.

" _You must be Mal."_

Mal turned around to see a woman dressed in a purple Greek-style dress and her brunette hair pulled back in a high ponytail standing behind her. "Yeah, that's me."

"My name's Megara but everyone calls me Meg."

"You're Herc's wife, right?"

Meg chuckled. "You're well informed. Yes, I am."

"Herc talks a lot about you. So does Hank."

Meg smiled. "Ah, my handsome hubby and my dashing son wouldn't say bad things about anyone."

" _Is that right, mom?"_

Meg and Mal turned to see a red headed boy with a sports headband around his forehead striding towards them.

"Hey Hank." Mal said, playing it cool.

"Hi Mal, how's it goin'?"

"Hank, my darling boy." Meg said through clenched teeth. She hated getting caught out, especially when it came to her son.

"Mom, I hope you haven't told Mal stories about when I was baby."

"Don't worry," Mal said. "She hasn't. I've heard enough about Ben to last me a lifetime."

"Ah, let me guess: Belle and Gia?"

"Yep. I've even seen photos of how cutesy Benny Boo was. Can't escape a mother and sister's love, right?"

"I couldn't agree more with that. I shall leave you both to it." Hank turned on his heel and walked away to join Claire who was trying to con Trixie into writing some sort of report for the newspaper.

"I must apologise for my son's behavior," Meg said apologetically. "He's not normally like that."

"I'm use to it now, Meg. Don't worry."

"You're incredibly resilient for someone who has been through a lot of things in the past year." Meg said.

"Yeah, I have a very thick skin considering my mother is Maleficent."

Mal had expected Meg to go running but she was surprised when she didn't.

"You're not running away because my mother is Maleficent?"

Meg smiled and shook her head. "Nope. Like you, my dear girl, I have faced a lot in my life and I am surprised that I am still here. I have faced creatures and gods alike and have almost died countless times but Herc has always brought me back. I think Ben would do the same for you."

"Yeah, he would." Mal nodded.

* * *

Aurora looked over from her conversation with Rapunzel to see Meg talking to the purple haired girl she had often heard Audrey complaining about. She had heard things from a lot of people about this girl. She had heard that she was an amazing artist but had never actually seen the girl's work. She had also heard from Evie that she had been the inspiration behind the dress she had worn to her father's birthday.

"Rapunzel, who's that girl?" Aurora asked pointing Mal out.

"Oh, that's Mal," Rapunzel smiled. "Ben's girlfriend. I think you met her briefly at the coronation last year."

"Yes, I think I did," Aurora said thoughtful. "Excuse me for a moment."

"Of course."

Making her way through the crowd and away from Rapunzel, Aurora silently wished that she could have waited a few moments as she made her way towards Meg and the girl.

"Aurora." Meg greeted with a nod when Aurora stopped next to her.

"Meg." Aurora then turned her head to Mal. "You must be the Mal everybody has been talking about."

"Y-yes, Your Majesty."

Mal knew exactly whom she was talking to. She looked a lot like Audrey but was older and was blonde, unlike her daughter who was a brunette. She was caught off guard when the woman smiled kindly at her.

"Please call me Aurora, my dear, after all no one calls you Maleficent, do they?"

Mal flinched at the mention of her full name. "Aurora it is then. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, darling."

"Please _never_ refer to me as Maleficent. I'm not my mother."

"Yes, I know. I have heard a lot of good things about you, Mal."

"You have?"

"Yes, I have."

"But I thought you'd be on Audrey's side."

"I do not agree with everything my daughter says. At first, I thought she was right but after your friend Evie told me that you were the inspiration for my dress, I thought I should… re-evaluate my opinions of you VKs. After all, Evie did make my dress."

Mal allowed herself to smile. "Evie's great, isn't she?"

"She is a very kind girl who thinks the world of you." Aurora smiled.

"I wouldn't quite put it that way but yeah."

"Evie's one of a kind." Aurora said.

Mal nodded.

* * *

Ben watched from the sidelines with Aziz and his father.

"Crisis adverted?" Aziz asked.

"Yeah." Adam said before Ben had the chance to open his mouth.

"I'm just glad that Evie's dress was enough to bring Aurora around." Ben said.

Aziz chuckled and patted his longtime friend on the shoulder. "Who can resist Evie's charm? She has to be the sweetest girl in Auradon at the moment."

Ben turned his head to give Aziz a teasing smirk. "Are you crushing on Evie?"

Aziz could feel his face go bright red. For anyone looking at him for the first time would assume he was his father Aladdin, as they looked a lot alike. The only part of him that he had inherited from his mother Jasmine was his personality. "Maybe a little."

Ben and his father exchanged amused looks.

"Hate to break it to you, son," Adam said. "But Evie's taken."

Aziz's shoulders slumped. "I know."

"You'll find someone, Az. Don't worry." Ben patted him on the shoulder as he continued to watch Mal and Aurora's conversation.

* * *

On the other side of the room, Cassandra stood talking to Herc, Phil and Meg.

"I am really liking the VKs," Cassandra said with enthusiasm. "They're great kids."

"I agree with you sister," Phil said with an approving nod. "I was just talkin' to that kid, Carlos, who know Cruella De Vil's son, about Tourney and I was surprised at just how much he knew about the sport."

"Hank has mentioned that Jay and Carlos are Jenkins' best players. Well, more Jay then Carlos." Herc mentioned.

Cassandra and Meg rolled their eyes.

"Do all you boys only talk about sports?" Meg asked, her hands going to her hips.

Herc and Phil looked at each other. "Yes." They chorused weakly.

Meg and Cassandra looked at each other mischievously.

A moment later, Icarus came running over. "I am LOVING these villain kids!"

"Odd," Meg said, her hands still on her hips. "We were just talking about them."

"No, Meggy, I'm serious!" Icarus was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "There's this kid, Titus, I think his name is and he's Theodora's son. He can do this awesome magical thingy."

Herc and Phil looked at each other.

"Theodora? Titus? Mmm." Phil mused thoughtfully.

"You recognise the names, Phil?" Meg asked curiously.

"The first one I do. Theodora could only be one villain. The Wicked Witch of the West."

"As in the witch that was defeated by a bucket of water?" Cassandra snorted.

Phil nodded.

"Titus is nothing like his mother," Icarus said. "From what Ben was saying earlier, a magic class has been established at Auradon Prep to cater for students with magical gifts. Apparently, Titus is really excelling with his magical gifts. He even saved a baby bird on the way over here."

This took the group by surprise.

"What kind of magical voodoo did Titus cast on your tiny brain?" Cassandra asked sarcastically tapping on her husband's head with her fist like it was a wooden door.

"Cassandra," Phil gave his friend a stern look. "Icarus is right. We shouldn't judge these kids because of who their parents are. I've heard Mal is a great kid and Ben was right to dump that princess he was with for her."

"She is _certainly_ a great kid," Meg interjected. "I've spoken to her and she's very sweet and I'm not talking 'princess sweet'."

The others seemed to know what she was talking about.

"I agree," Herc nodded. "I've met a few of the VKs and they're great kids who were just born to villains."

"Hey question," Icarus said to his best friend. "Just by fascination. What would you say of one of these kids were say, the child of Hades?"

Hercules smiled. "I'd treat them the same as these other kids. No child is their parents. I'm nothing like my parents despite the fact I was born a god before I was made a demigod."

"True that," Phil nodded. "I'm nothing like my mother or my brother. My brother, after all was the favorite when I was growing up." The very mention of Sal made Phil's blood boil.

"Easy does it, Phil." Herc reached down and patted his Satyr friend on the shoulder.

"I know, sorry. Just mentioning my mom and brother makes me angry."

Cassandra, Icarus and Meg looked at each other.

"I'm sure you'll get along just fine with these VKs." Herc said causing his old friend to look up at him.

"You know, I think I'll go talk to another one of them." With that Phil wandered off into the crowd.

* * *

Jay was just finishing up an enjoyable conversation with Aladdin when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked around but couldn't see anyone.

" _Hey kid, down here."_

Looking down, Jay was surprised to see a Satyr staring up at him. "Hi."

"Hey, name's Phil." The Satyr held out his hand for Jay to shake.

"Phil?" Jay said shaking the Satyr's hand. "As in Hercules' trainer, Phil?"

"The very same. You just be Jay."

"Yeah, that's me, man." Jay wanted to crouch down Phil's level so that they were eye-to-eye but from the stories he had heard from people about the old Satyr, he thought better of it.

"My nephew Hank talks a lot about you."

"You're another of Hank's uncles?"

"Me and kooky Icarus." Phil said proudly.

"He's a great player on the Tourney team."

"He's sporty, just like his dad." Phil said fondly. "You're one of Jenkins' best players I hear."

Jay smiled and nodded.

For the next half hour, Jay and Phil spoke about anything to do with sport. Hercules and Hanks had eventually joined them and the group of guys found themselves enjoying themselves as they talked Tourney.

* * *

Mal had eventually found her way back to Ben and was now quite content with his arms around her and her head resting against his shoulder.

"Look at Jay," she cooed. "He's really enjoying himself."

"I was expecting him to be with Gia all night." Ben told her as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"They can't be seen together otherwise people will get suspicious, remember?" Mal said with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, yeah. How can I forget?" Ben smirked in return.

Mal smiled and leaned up to kiss him before returning her head to his shoulder.

"I feel so sorry for them," Ben said. "Not being about go public like the rest of us. I don't know how I'd cope if that were us."

"Yeah, you would not believe how often Jay complains about it. I have never seen him so committed to anything in all the time I have known him. He really does love her."

"I don't think I've ever seen Gia so lively before. Whenever Jay's name is mentioned, she brightens up. Now that is a woman in love."

"And I'm not?"

"Oh, hush." Ben grinned teasingly as he leaned down to kiss her.

Ben and Mal hadn't exactly been shy about their feelings for each other but they both knew when not to go overboard. They never made out in public the way Audrey and Chad did. They were affectionate not lustful when it came to their public displays. They weren't all over each other either. They liked been close together but they weren't clingy.

No one noticed their king's lovefest with his girlfriend. People had learned in the year since Ben was crowned king that they had to pretend that they hadn't seen anything. It was surprising at just how accepting most people were becoming to the fact that their possible future queen hadn't been born a princess. It was no secret that a lot of people hadn't wanted Audrey on the throne as Belle's successor. People had been cringing at the idea since Ben and Audrey had announced they had been dating.

A lot of people had sighed in relief when Ben had 'randomly' broken up with Sleeping Beauty's daughter. They had been surprised, however, when it been announced that Ben's new girlfriend was in fact Maleficent's daughter. After the coronation, people had come to realise that no child was perfect, even those of heroes and their sidekicks. Some were accepting of the VKs while there were those, mainly Queen Leah, who didn't and wouldn't accept Auradon's new future queen and her friends.

"Come with me." Ben whispered playfully in Mal's ear.

Mal looked up at him to see that charming smile that she had always been unable to resist.

"We won't be missed."

Mal looked out over the sea of people to see almost everyone had engaged someone else in conversation before allowing Ben to take her by the hand and drag her from the room.

* * *

Ben led Mal out the main ballroom door and down a few hidden passages that she hadn't known were there. She made a mental note to explore the castle more the next time.

Soon enough, the couple found themselves in Belle's garden.

"Wow, this place is even better at night."

Ben led her over to the same spot she had sat with Adam months earlier. "I use think the same thing." Ben said as they sat down causing to Mal to turn her full attention to him. "There were times when I was younger when I could sneak out here once everybody had gone to bed and use to gaze up at the stars or read in the moonlight."

"Why did you stop?" Mal asked curiously.

"I haven't done it in a while."

"So you still do it?"

"Yep. I might be king now but doesn't mean I have to stop doing one of the things I've always loved doing. Since curfew is in place when we're at school, the only chance I get to do it is when I'm at home."

Mal stayed silent as she nodded.

"What about you?" Ben nudged Mal with his shoulder. "Got any other secrets I still don't know about you?"

Mal thought for a long moment. Ben knew almost everything about her now. What could she tell him?

"Whenever Evie goes to sleep at night, I 'sneak' into Jay and Carlos' room, go to their minibar and steal their chocolate."

Ben chuckled. "Really? I never would have thought."

"I replace it, don't worry. Having magic has its benefits."

"Mal." Ben said. His facial expression and tone of his voice told Mal he wasn't angry with her, nor he annoyed.

"What?"

Ben pulled her close. "No magic." He whispered as he leaned to kiss her.

Mal smiled into the kiss as her arms instinctively wrapped around Ben's neck. She had always felt comforted by the idea of Ben being close to her. She felt safe whenever his arms were around her. As strong as she was, the bullying from Chad and Audrey did get to her but with Ben around, it hurt less. She knew that if she didn't let it get to her then she would have nothing to fear but to have Ben on her side, she felt better.

Ben broke the kiss he had started. It pained him to do so but he and Mal both needed to breathe.

Mal snuggled into his side as his arms pulled her close again. She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish I didn't have to go back to the dorm."

"I wish you could stay but you know there are rules."

Mal rolled her eyes as she buried her head in Ben's shoulder. "I know." She said, her voice coming out muffled. "Stupid rules."

Ben grinned as he placed another kiss to the top of her head. It felt nice to be able to let his guard down for once. Being around the royalty and the nobility was beginning to make his head spin. He wanted to be himself around those he had known his whole life. He knew Gia would have been encouraging him to be himself and he knew Mal would have agreed with her.

"Did you see Gia on your rounds?" Ben asked all of a sudden.

"No, I don't think I did," Mal answered. "Why?"

"After you started talking to Aurora, I lost track of her. I didn't even notice until a couple of seconds ago."

Mal jumped to her feet and pulled Ben to his. "Come on. Let's go look for her."

* * *

Gia was on a mission. After she had watched some of Mal's conversation with Aurora from afar, she had made herself scarce. She was a mission that only she could complete and it was simple: get to HQ ASAP.

Castle Beast's so-called 'HQ' was actually the well-equipped and renovated West Wing in which former King Beast himself had spent much of his time before Belle's arrival at his castle.

The West Wing had been renovated with all the newest technology under the sun. With both holographic and touch screen screens and every security device available. The West Wing HQ was the one place in all of Auradon that was truly safe.

Gia had taken a series of tunnels that not even Ben knew about it to get to her destination. Ben didn't even know what was in the West Wing. He'd never been allowed in there. Gia now stood at the concealed entrance that happened to be to a large bookshelf that covered majority of the wall. Looking over her shoulder, she pulled out an ID card and scanned it in the hidden panel in the shelf.

The section of shelf slid away, allowing Gia access to the room beyond.

The panel then slid back into place.

* * *

The control room wasn't in a chaotic state like Gia had expected it to be. It was, after all a weekend in which the castle was alive with guests.

" _Hey boss."_

Gia turned to see none other then Vinny headed towards her.

"Hey, Vin. Any 'illegal' activity?"

"None like we expected." Vinny yawned and stretched.

"How long have you been here?" Gia asked.

" _He has been here all day."_ Responded Audrey Ramirez-Sweet who had been sitting next to him.

"What time did you get here?"

"About 0630." Vinny said as if his mouth was on autopilot.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest. I'm sure Audrey will cover you plus I'm sure Val would _love_ to see you."

"I'm a chief of security," Vinny answered. "I don't need rest."

Audrey and Gia looked at each other.

"I have been tryin' to get him to go home for the past two hours." Audrey groaned.

"Vin, Audrey's right. You need sleep. As your commanding officer, I command you to go."

Vinny knew he couldn't defy a direct order, especially if the order came from Gia since the Lady of Auradon was also the lead commander of the operation.

"Okay, okay," Vinny raised his hands and rose from his recently occupied chair. "I'm going." He headed for the door and left.

"I'm sorry, my lady. Vinny is just being stubborn."

"Understood, Audrey. Don't blame yourself."

The door closed prompting both Audrey and Gia to look over at the door.

* * *

Back in the ballroom, Evie, Jay and Carlos gathered together.

"Have you guys seen Mal and Ben?" Evie asked.

"Are you worried, Ev?" Jay teased.

Evie threw him a dirty look. "It's been a while since I've seen them, that's all."

"Gia's missing too," Carlos said. "I haven't seen her in a while."

Jay looked between his friends. He suddenly realised that he hadn't seen his girlfriend in a while either. He could feel his stomach twist at the realization that his girlfriend could have been missing.

But before the group could venture out to look for their missing friends, they turned to see the trio heading towards them.

* * *

" _What happened to you and Ben earlier?"_ Evie asked.

It was nearly 10:30pm and the group of teens had departed the party in need of a goodnight's rest.

Evie and Mal had walked back to the dorm from the castle despite Ben and the boys insisting that they walk with them.

"Nothing happened." Mal said as she pulled her earrings from her ears and placed them on the earrings stand on her beside table. "We just went out into Belle's garden and talked before we had to go looking for Gia."

Evie raised an eyebrow.

"So, where did you find Gia?"

"That was the weird thing," Mal said as she sat down on her bed. "We found her just as she was coming out of the West Wing."

"The West Wing? Isn't that Adam's territory only?"

"Yeah. Ben said he's never been in there. According, to what he told me, when he was young, his dad use to tell him that the West Wing was 'cursed'."

"It wasn't, was it?" Evie asked.

"I don't know. Ben wasn't even sure."

Evie was thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think Gia would tell us or Ben if we asked her?"

"Knowing Gia like I do, I doubt it. She's wise as well as one of the Adam's secret keepers."

"So now what?" Evie questioned.

"Let Ben handle her. If there's one person who can talk to her, it's him."

* * *

" _So why were you coming out of the West Wing last night?"_

It was now Sunday morning and Gia was sitting at the dining room table with Ben. Belle and Adam were sleeping in.

"I'm not going to answer that." Gia answered as she picked up her fork and started to shove bacon into her mouth.

"I'm sure you're not going to." Ben gave her a pointed look.

Gia swallowed her bacon and continued onto another piece. "If you think your pointed looks are going to get me to talk, you can forget it." She said without looking up.

"Okay then. I'm _not_ going to make you talk but answer me one thing."

Gia rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "Go for it."

"Does dad know you were in the West Wing?"

"Yep."

This made Ben nearly spit out his mouthful of chocolate chip muffin. "What?" he coughed. "Dad knows what you're doing?"

"Yep. It was his idea."

"Unbelievable. He trusts you to go into the West Wing but not me? I'm supposed to be his son."

Gia smiled charmingly at him. "Well, _I'm_ still his daughter plus, I'm the oldest so stick it, little brother."

Ben wanted to protest but sunk back into his chair, utterly defeated.

* * *

" _Ben's on the verge of killing me."_ Gia told Jay as they sat up in one of the trees in Belle's garden away from any place where they might be seen.

"What? Because you get to go into the West Wing and he doesn't?"

Gia nodded. "I know it doesn't seem fair but I am head of security and then when I'm away from the post, Ramirez-Sweet and Vinny are in charge."

"As in Milo Thatch's Atlantis buddies?"

"The very same Audrey and Vinny."

"Whoa! _Another_ Audrey?"

Gia grinned. "You can have _more then one_ person with the same name, you know."

"Is it confusing, though?"

"A little but it all depends on what the subject is. Do you really think it would be wise to talk about _Princess_ Audrey if you were talking about mechanics?"

"Absolutely not." Jay chuckled at the thought. "Princess Audrey and sooty machines don't mix."

"I totally agree." Gia laughed as Jay leaned in to kiss her.

The kiss only lasted a moment but it was a moment that felt like eternity.

"I wish we didn't have to hide." Gia whispered. "I wish we could be like Ben and Mal and just be open with everyone."

"I know but one day, your wish will come true and I know we will be the happiest couple alive."

Gia relaxed slightly as Jay's hand settled against her cheek.

"You know, I think Fairy Godmother knows about us."

"What makes you say that?"

"Every time we're in the same room, I don't know if you've noticed, but she gives me a smile and nods in your direction and says nothing else. I think mom and dad told her."

Jay looked at her in surprise. "You call Belle and Adam 'mom' and 'dad' but not to their faces?"

Gia nodded. "I know I'm not being fair but I'm not their daughter and I never have been."

"What does that matter? They raised you. They _are_ your parents. Ben is practically your brother. To me, it doesn't matter who you're born to. The ones that raised you are your parents."

Gia knew Jay was right but she couldn't allow herself to agree. She was supposed to be strong.

* * *

 _So there you have it! A little Jay and Gia moment. So next chapter will be another time jump to the middle of the year and its mid-term exam time! I haven't thought out much for the next chapter yet. I'm looking at including a montage with the Auradon Prep students going through their exam preparations which means a lot more of the school staff will pop up. The chapter will also dive into Gia's relationship with Belle and Adam a bit more._

 _To be continued..._


	12. A Different Beat

**A/N:** _Hey all! I know it has nearly been a whole year since I updated but I've been really, really busy! I can report that I now have a job as a freelance writer and have a few original works in progress. I chose to update this as a Christmas present for you all. I have also had massive writer's block when it came to writing this chapter. Basically, this chapter has been like a quarter finished since March when I started writing it until the last couple of days. So this chapter was named after the Little Mix song, A Different Beat. It turned out differently to what I had planned originally. I could see the scenes clearly in my head but I couldn't write them down for some stupid reason._

 _I originally was going to have the last part of the chapter focus on Gia's relationship with Belle and Adam (Beast) a lot more then what I wrote. I will focus on their relationship with her later however. There are also a lot spelling and grammar errors as I have not edited this chapter at all. So without further ado, I give you, the long awaited chapter 12. One more thing as well, there is a reference to a one shot 'preface' to this story called More then What You Think which explains a little bit of Gia's origins. I would recommend reading that before reading this chapter but it it optional as a lot Gia's origin will be featured in this story anyway._

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: A Different Beat**

* * *

A few months past and before the students of Auradon Prep knew, it was three weeks before the mid-term exams.

While the girls found ways to keep themselves calm during study periods, the boys weren't so lucky.

Ben, Jay and Carlos knew they were out of their minds when they agreed to undergo extra Tourney training sessions at 4.30am every morning with Coach Jenkins. By the time the trio got to breakfast, they were exhausted which was a worry to Mal and Evie.

"You guys look exhausted." Mal said as the guys sat down at their normal breakfast table the first Sunday morning after their training sessions started.

"Yeah," Evie agreed as she picked at her bran muffin. "We've got exams too, remember?"

"I think we're in over our heads." Ben groaned. His head rested on the table so his voice sounded muffled.

Mal and Evie looked at each other before Mal reached over and took Ben's hand causing him to look up at her.

"You three need sleep. We're getting worried about you." Mal said squeezing Ben's hand. He squeezed her hand in return.

"After breakfast, go back to bed. Coach Jenkins should know better then to have you three training before mid-term week." Evie said, clearly appalled.

The boys looked at each other.

Ben looked about ready to protest when Evie gave him a hard look. "And I don't care if you're the king."

Mal had to hold back a laugh at the sour look Ben was giving Evie.

Ben sighed and returned his head to the table. "Fine." He mumbled. "We'll go."

Mal and Evie exchanged pleased looks.

* * *

After breakfast, the boys did as they were told and went back to bed while the girls went about their study. It might have been the weekend but the girls were determined to do well on these exams.

They had done well the previous year, despite having arrived at Auradon Prep later in the school year but before mid-terms had even started.

Mal had found she had caught the study bug, thanks to Ben's prodding. She understood that the guy meant well and only wanted what was best for her. She had never been real good at exams while she had been at Dragon Hall while she'd been living on the Isle of the Lost. She had found, however, that she was actually learning more in Auradon then what she had ever learned on the island.

* * *

After lunch, Evie had taken Jane to the one of the nearby shopping malls to buy more material, which left Mal alone in the room.

Mal felt somewhat at ease, sitting at her desk as she read the notes she had taken for Villain History. The subject should have been a breeze for her considering who her mother was and the origins in which she had come. The subject was proving more difficult then what she imagined. As the saying went, 'There are two sides to every story' but Mal had learned since returning to Auradon there was no right or wrong in the world, just differing opinions.

Absorbed in her study, Mal didn't notice Ben slip into the room and sneak up behind her.

" _Miss me?"_

Mal smiled and looked up to see her boyfriend hovering behind her. "What are you doing here? I thought Evie and I told you and the guys to sleep."

"I did. You should hear Jay and Carlos. I never imagined their snores would be so loud."

"Given the way their parents raised them, I'm not. They've never known comfort the way they have here in Auradon." Mal said tapping her pencil absently on the desk.

"I remember Jay mentioning he use to sleep under a shelf in his dad's shop that held heavy TVs."

Mal nodded as she flipped the page in her notebook. "Yeah. Carlos had a bed but no pillow and his blankets were his mother's furs. He had to be careful though because if Cruella caught him sleeping with her furs, she'd lock him in her bear-trap infested closet as punishment. In fact, Evie gave him one of her pillows that she had to smuggle from her mom's castle."

"What about you and Evie?" Ben asked as he perched next to her.

"We both had beds and pillows and blankets. Considering who our mothers are, I'm surprised that we weren't punished as badly as Carlos."

"How rough was it growing up with Maleficent as a parent?"

Mal looked up at Ben, giving him a sour look. She then answered his question anyway. "Rough. I use to get punished all because I wasn't evil enough. I only wish I knew what punishments Evie use to get from Evil Queen." She then returned her attention to her notebook. Before she could reach for the book, however, Ben's hand snaked out and shut the book. "Hey!" Mal protested.

"You've been here since before lunch. Come on, you need some time away from your study."

Mal snorted. "Says the guy who has only had what? Three hours sleep?"

Ben shot her a look that said 'I'm dead serious'.

"Okay, okay, fine." Mal rose from her chair, cringing from the stiffness in her back and legs from having been sitting for too long. "Let's do whatever you want me to do."

* * *

As it turned out, Ben had merely wanted to take Mal to the art room, her favorite place on all of the Auradon Prep's campus.

Ben perched on one of the tables while Mal did the one thing she enjoyed most, after drawing: painting. It was crazy to think that just over a year ago, Mal had been spray-painting images of her mother and the phrase 'Long Live Evil' on the walls around the Isle of the Lost. He had seen some of her art first hand when she had accidentally wished that she could go home to the isle. The spell had backfired terribly when Audrey, Ben and Evie had gotten trapped in the crossfire. Mal knew now not to wish on a Genie's lamp unless she was absolutely desperate.

"Thanks for bringing me down here. This is _exactly_ what I needed."

Ben smirked as he nodded. "My pleasure. So tell me," he paused. "How's the study going?"

Mal snorted. "I thought you bought me in here _not_ to talk about exams and study."

"I kinda lied about that," Ben admitted sheepishly as he hopped off the table and stepped over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Not really."

Mal giggled as she leaned into his chest. "Ooh. I like this new you. You're becoming evil."

Ben considered her words as he pressed a kiss to her hair. He then leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I've got a good teacher."

Mal chuckled. "You gonna let me go or do I have to jab you with this?" She held up the paintbrush that was in her hand.

Ben pulled a face she couldn't see and released her before going back to where he had been perched before on the table. There was nothing worse then getting jabbed with the end of a paintbrush.

Come to think of it, Ben had never seen Mal use a paintbrush before. He was so accustom to seeing her using spray paint that seeing her with a paintbrush was foreign.

"It's good to see that you're using something _other_ then spray paint." Ben found himself commenting.

Mal stopped painting to give him a distasteful look. "I like art, Benny Boo. I can use whatever I want."

Ben laughed. "I never said you couldn't."

Mal pulled a face and went back to her painting.

Ben considered Mal's words. She did like art and she could draw better then any person he knew. He himself had the art skills of a four-year-old. He couldn't draw for crap and he was willing to admit it. "You know," he said causing Mal to straighten her back, implying she was listening. "My art skills resemble that of a four-year-old." He inwardly cringed knowing Mal was bound to laugh at him.

He was surprised when Mal turned around and walked over to him. "I love you just as you are." Ben found himself smiling before pulling her into his lap, her arms going instinctively to his neck.

"I'm glad." He grinned.

Mal grinned in return. "You don't have to be arty for me to love you. I hope you know that."

"Of course, I do."

"Then don't worry about it." Mal offered him a smile and he took the gesture as one that told him as long as he had Mal's love, that was all he needed.

* * *

Evie sat with her study notes for her Fashion Design class scattered around her. She was sitting alone at the picnic table she and her friends normally occupied.

She had completed her shopping trip with Jane but had found the trip unfulfilling. She hadn't be able to buy what she wanted as the shops were out of what she needed. She had this great design for an outfit that she had wanted to make but she couldn't do it without the right materials.

" _Evie?"_

Evie's head shot up to see Jordan watching her. "Jordan, hi."

"You okay? You seem… distracted." Jordan said as she sat down opposite her.

"I'm just annoyed, that's all." Evie admitted.

"Annoyed at what?" Jordan asked.

"I went to the mall with Jane earlier. I needed material for this outfit I want to make, only no one had the material I needed."

Jordan looked down at the design in front of Evie. Reaching for it, she studied it carefully. "It's pretty. Normally, pretty's not a word I use. I think I might be able to help you."

Evie's eyes widened. "Really?"

Jordan nodded. "I always have a ton of material left over whenever I make people's genie chic outfits. I actually have all the material you need for this." She tapped the sketch with a finger.

Evie brightened. "Thank you, Jordan. That's really sweet of you."

Jordan grinned and nodded. "You're an amazing designer, Ev. You're going to make it big one day."

The idea of becoming a big name fashion designer was almost too much to handle for Evie. "I'm not that good."

"Nonsense," Jordan snorted. "You're amazing. You do know that that dress you made for Audrey's mom for King Stefan's birthday trended, right?"

"I'm aware." Evie nodded. "Aurora came and thanked me personally. Though, I don't know what Queen Leah said about it though."

"Who cares what the old lady said? She has her head stuck in the old times. She holds grudges against those who had nothing to do with Maleficent's sleeping curse."

Evie didn't have to ask. She knew Jordan was referring to Queen Leah's vendetta against Mal all because of what _Maleficent_ did to Aurora all those years ago.

What Evie found astonishing was the idea that Jordan of all people would actually call Leah 'an old lady'. In the time Evie had known Jordan, she had always been intrigued with the daughter of Genie's sass. She reminded Evie of Mal, but with fashion sense. Mal's fashion sense was getting better, considering she had Gia guiding her along the path that could one day lead her to become Queen of Auradon.

"I have to repay you somehow." Evie said, the words rushing out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them.

Jordan waved her hands dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do. After all, you have helped me in the past."

Evie nodded.

Jordan rose from her seat but not before snapping her fingers.

A pile of pre-used material appeared in front of Evie.

"Wow," Evie said as she thumbed through the pile. "There's enough here to two make the same dress twice."

"Yeah. I tend to buy more then I can use. Take as much as you need." Jordan said.

Evie didn't argue as she quickly sorted through the material. She grabbed what she needed and pushed the rest back over to Jordan. "Thanks again, Jordan."

"Anytime, Evie." Jordan snapped her fingers and disappeared in a flash.

Evie returned her gaze to the material in front of her and smiled.

* * *

Jay and Carlos had been awake for at least fifteen minutes when Mal came barging into their room.

"Guys!"

Carlos jumped.

"Damn it, Mal. Don't you ever knock?" Jay said as he flopped back down against his pillows.

Mal smirked at them.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying or with Ben?" Carlos asked as Dude jumped up on the bed.

"I was with Ben just then." Mal nodded.

"Then what are you doing here?" Jay asked sitting up.

"He gave me an idea and it involves you two."

The boys looked at each other. They had come know when Mal was 'plotting' something. Most of the time, they weren't involved and Evie was often the one Mal went to for help with her 'schemes'.

"Why do I get the feeling that we aren't going to like this?" Jay cringed.

Mal grinned before she spun around and headed for the door. "You have ten minutes to be down on the Tourney Field." With that, she left, leaving Jay and Carlos to wonder what she had planned.

* * *

Jay and Carlos obeyed Mal's request and went down to the Tourney field as soon as they'd both gotten dressed.

Arriving down at the field, they found almost all their friends waiting for them.

Evie stood with Doug who looked mildly annoyed because he had been pulled out of his own study.

Lonnie had just arrived with Jane who looked about ready to cry.

Ben didn't look at all happy. Why, Jay and Carlos fathom. He was always happy whenever Mal was with him.

What struck Jay as surprising was Gia's presence. Normally, she wouldn't have gotten involved with school matters but apparently; this wasn't a school matter at all.

"Hey," Jay greeted Evie. "What's going on?"

Evie shrugged before turning back to see Mal walking to the front of the group. She also noted that Gia wasn't far behind her.

"Okay guys, you're probably all wondering why we've asked you all here."

There was a murmur of agreement and a nod of heads from the group.

"As you're all well aware, mid-terms are coming up and well, we need a miracle if we're to keep our heads, so to speak."

This caused a bit of confusion among the group of teens.

"What Mal means is," Gia said, speaking up. "Is that you've all got other activities that you have to contend with too. For the boys, excluding Doug, you've got Tourney at all hours of the day and of course there's Doug's band practice, Lonnie's martial arts training and hip-hop classes and whatever else you kids do in your spare time."

"Are you saying we need to prioritize?" Lonnie asked.

"That is _exactly_ what we're talking about, Lon." Mal nodded.

"And I know exactly how to do that." Gia said as she turned to face Ben, Carlos and Jay. "Ben, Carlos and Jay, you're up first."

The boys simply stared at her before looking at each other.

* * *

 _Say yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)_

Jay, Carlos and Ben found themselves on the running track on the athletics track. Gia stood observing them.

"What the heck are we doing here?" Jay asked, his hands coming to rest on his hips.

Gia eyed him. "I have noticed while some of your recent Tourney games haven't been… the greatest." She said, choosing her words carefully.

"That wasn't our fault," Carlos said raising his hand as if he were in the middle of class discussion. "The other teams were better then us."

"Yeah." Ben and Jay chorused in unison.

Gia gave them a sideways look and pursed her lips. "When I was at Auradon Prep, the Fighting Knights never gave up but with you guys on the team, I'm beginning to think otherwise."

The trio of guys looked at each other. They didn't like where this was going.

"Line up."

Ben and Carlos did as they are told. Jay stood defiantly crossing his arms as if in protest.

"Dude," Carlos said causing Jay to turn to look at him. "I would do as she says."

"Yeah, I agree." Ben said. He pointed at Gia and Jay was forced to look at her.

Gia's eyes glowed the same shade of green as Mal's did when she used magic.

Cringing and not wanting to upset his girlfriend, Jay moved into position on the track between Ben and Carlos.

There was an odd bang and the boys took off.

 _Say ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah_

Carlos looked around nervously. He saw that Jenkins hadn't turned his attention on him… yet.

 _(Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah)_

Jay stood at the opposite end of the Tourney field watching as Chad sulked around. He froze when Chad stopped walking, his eyes focusing on Carlos. Was the arrogant little princeling going to attack Carlos? Jay felt himself unfreeze when Chad started to walk into the opposite direction.

 _Say yeah, yeah  
(Yeah, yeah)_

Ben sighed in relief when he saw that Chad had walked in the opposite direction. He didn't want to have to deal with Chad this early in the morning. His mind simply wouldn't be with it until breakfast.

 _Say ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah  
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah)_

Jenkins watched from where he was standing by the cannon to see that Chad Charming had walked in the opposite direction away from the De Vil kid. He looked briefly to where Ben was standing saw hat even he was relieved to see that Chad walked away instead of going over to bully the poor kid.

The coach the looked over at Jay who looked ready for a fight. He was just glad when he saw Aziz walk over and hold Jay back.

 _I got a spoonful of sugar  
That I think you'd like  
No, I don't wanna preach_

Ben rolled his eyes. He was sitting in the library with Lonnie and Titus, all their books and study notes spread out between the three of them. Audrey had walked in with a few of her friends and was giggling over something Chad had clearly told her earlier. He gritted his teeth.

"Don't let her get to you," Lonnie muttered through gritted teeth of her own as she applied paper correction fluid onto a mistake she had made on her English notes. "She thinks she's the princess of everything."

"What I would love to know is," said Titus as he absently examined his pencil sharpener. "Why is she even in here? She doesn't seem like the study and bookish type."

"I would love the know the same thing." Ben said as he returned his gaze to his Villain textbook.

 _But I think you might  
Wanna cup  
(Sip it up, sip it up)  
(Sip it up, sip it up, sip it up)_

Evie and Mal sat in their Auradon History exam, their heads jammed to capacity with knowledge. They had gone over their notes at least ten times and thrown quiz questions at each other as they had laid in their beds, waiting for sleep to come.

Mal twirled her pen in-between her fingers as she jotted down the answer to a question about the Chinese Army in which Lonnie's parents had served in when they had been younger. She smiled at what she had written down before she moved onto the next question.

Evie sighed as she wrote down the answer to a question about Tiana's past before she had become Queen of Maldonia. _This is too easy,_ She thought. She looked over to where Mal was sitting.

Mal looked over at Evie when her best friend caught her eye. She smiled before mouthing; _this is too easy_ at her.

The supervising teacher, Mr. Deaks cleared his throat and Mal and Evie snapped out of their silent conversation and went back to working on their exam papers.

At back of the room, Ben smirked down at his paper. He knew Mal and Evie had worked really hard on their study for this subject and he severely hoped that their study paid off.

 _I might be young  
But I know my mind  
I'm sick of being told_

Jay stood by himself on the Athletic track, he took a few deep breaths before he took off around the track, pushing his legs as fast he knew they would carry him.

 _What's wrong or right  
So give it up  
(Give it up, give it up)  
(Give it up, give it up, give it up)_

Jane sat on the sidelines on the Tourney field, her fighting knights mascot's uniform sat next to her. She watched as the Tourney team trained. She wasn't paying attention to the _whole_ team. She was more focused on Carlos.

She wanted to ask him out but she was always losing her nerve. _You are such a coward Jane,_ She thought bitterly to herself as she chewed her lip. _But Carlos looks so cute in that in that uniform._

She sighed before she gathered up her uniform and left the bleachers.

 _Uh-oh, now there you go  
Out of your comfort zone_

Mal stood in front of Evie's long mirror, wearing one of Evie prototype dresses.

"Just stand still for me." Evie said as she pulled out a handful of pins from her crown shaped pincushion.

"Just be careful you don't… ah!" Mal yelped as Evie accidentally pricked her. "Evie!"

Evie cringed. "Sorry."

 _'Cause I'm breaking out  
Not breaking down, down, down, down  
Ain't got nothing to prove_

Fairy Godmother stood at the front of her Remedial Goodness class, watching her VK students as they took down the questions she had written down on the board. She watched as Freddie and Jade took down their answers and raised their hands.

"Freddie? Jade?"

"The answer to the first question would be give the princess a rose and an apology." Said Jade.

Fairy Godmother nodded, a smile creeping onto her face. "And the answer to the second question?"

"Comfort the puppy." Freddie answered automatically.

From the other side of the room, Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos clapped.

Ulysses and Titus clapped, clearly impressed.

Freddie and Jade looked at each other proudly.

 _Walk a mile in my shoes  
I know the one thing that counts_

Mal sat on her bed staring up at the spell jar that contained her mother, a dark expression her face. She had briefly fallen asleep and had dreamt of her mother. Her mother had said some terrible things to her like Ben would dump her when he realised she wasn't queen material.

The Mistress of Evil had even gone as far as to mock Mal's friendship with Evie, Jay and Carlos saying that they were only friendly towards her because they had no one else to turn to when it came to leadership.

Mal had fought her way out of the dream. Her mother didn't know her at all. She knew Ben adored her and loved her for who she was. She also knew that Evie, Jay and Carlos saw her as their sister and not just as their so-called leader.

"I'll show you, Mother that I am more then what you think I am."

Without a second thought, Mal rose from her bed and did a sweeping hand gesture, her clothes, hair and makeup changing on the spot. She walked to the door and left, slamming the door behind her.

 _I got the right  
To make up my mind  
Say it loud and clear_

Jay stood in the locker room with Coach Jenkins going over a bunch of plays for an upcoming Tourney game.

When Jenkins nodded his approval, Jay let out the loudest cheer that the coach had ever heard in his life.

Jay's cheer was so loud that it could be heard as far out as the bleachers where Ben and Carlos were talking with Jade.

"Looks like Jay got his plays approved." Jade said.

 _For the whole wide world to hear  
We're marching for love_

"Ben, you get your royal butt back here!" Gia yelled.

Ben pulled Mal down the corridor of the East Wing of Castle away from the direction of his sister's voice.

The couple pinned themselves up against a shadowed wall.

"Do you think we lost her?" Ben whispered to Mal.

Without thinking, Mal leaned over and kissed him.

Ben kissed her back but pulled back when he heard the pounding of feet on the carpeted floor close to them.

"There you are!"

Ben and Mal cringed as they turned to see Gia standing in front of them, her hands on her hips looking rather unimpressed.

 _So turn up the drum  
Say it loud and clear  
For the whole wide world to hear_

Gia flopped down on her bed, exhausted. Teaching Ben and Mal was a chore within itself. She had never seen either of them look so flustered and nervous in all the time she had known them. She knew they were practically joined at the hip but she never seen them jump apart the way they had. She had seen the nerves on their faces.

 _Yeah, we must have different shoes on  
We're marching to a different beat  
Yeah!_

Mal sat in her pyjamas on her bed while Evie sat, also dressed in her pyjamas at her sewing machine. They hadn't spoken in over an hour and a half after they had gotten into an unnecessary fight about how Mal had handled her and Ben's dance lesson with Gia.

" _M?"_

Mal's head shot up to see Evie looking at her, apologetically.

"I'm sorry for our argument earlier. I wasn't thinking."

Mal gave her best friend a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry too, E. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Evie rose from her sewing machine and went to hug Mal.

"I hope you have forgiven me."

Mal smiled and pulled back out of the hug a little bit. "Yeah, I have. But can I ask why?"

Evie flashed Mal a smile before pulling completely out of the hug and going back over to her sewing machine. She reached over and revealed a dress that she had been working on.

"I made this for you. You know, as a way of hoping (and praying) for forgiveness."

The dress was simple but it was most definitely Mal's style. It was Mal's favourite shade of purple but other then that, Mal couldn't see much of it through her tears of happiness.

"Oh, E," she sobbed. "It's perfect."

Evie smiled and hugged Mal again.

Mal smiled into Evie's shoulder.

 _So baby put your boots on  
Keep marching to a different beat  
Yeah_

Evie walked out of her Fashion Design exam looking happy. She knew she would have been able to pass the exam even if she were asleep. It had been _that_ easy. She wasn't inwardly gloating but it was easy.

"How was it?" Ben asked.

Mal had been meant to meet Evie outside the classroom but had been summoned to the art room instead. Ben, who had been with her had volunteered to go in her place.

 _Never in the slow lane  
'Cause I like it fast  
No time you waste  
So I keep our feet on the gas_

Ben sat in the driver's seat of his father's SUV. Gia and Belle sat in the back, anxiously clutching each other's hands as if it was the other's lifeline.

"Is this such a grand idea, dear?" Belle asked her husband.

"It won't be like last time, mom, I promise." Ben said in an attempt to comfort his mother's nerves.

Gia snorted. "The last time you drove us to the mall, you nearly rammed the car into a parking meter."

Belle elbowed her.

Gia yelped as she rubbed her arm.

"Have a bit of faith in the kid, geez." Beast said as Ben started the car.

 _Here goes nothing,_ Ben thought to himself as he removed the parking brake and slowly edged the car towards the gate.

 _(I live it up, live it up)  
(Live it up, live it up, live it up)_

 _I might be young  
I know who I am  
So I don't follow like a marching band_

Doug sat in his regular place in the music room, his trumpet in his hands. He was distracted by the fact that he had a study date with Evie and Mal that afternoon. Ben had had to bail at the last minute because there had been a massive disagreement between Aladdin and Charming that he had fix before it ended up in the next morning's newspaper.

" _Come on Dwarfson!"_

Doug snapped out of his daze and went about his trumpet playing. This was going to be a long practice session.

 _So give it up  
(Give it up, give it up)  
(Give it up, give it up, give it up)_

Mal sat alone in the art room, paint splattered on her face and in her hair. She had been given a practical assignment that she had wanted to get finished early so that she could send time studying in the dorm with Evie and the boys.

She sighed as she stared at the paint-splattered canvas in front of her. It was not want she had envisioned but she knew she would get high marks anyway. She was at the top of the class for a reason.

 _Uh-oh, now there you go  
Out of your comfort zone_

" _Come on De Vil!"_ Ordered Coach Jenkins.

The disadvantage of being on the Auradon Prep Tourney team was that the team also got Coach Jenkins as a sub whenever Yao wasn't teaching gym.

Jay and Ben were notably absent from the class, which didn't make Carlos feel any better. He hated it when Jenkins ran the class. He didn't mind the coach when they were on the Tourney field but having him as a gym teacher was even worse.

Carlos had somehow gotten himself chosen to take what Jenkin's dubbed 'The Monkey Bar Test', which met swinging without fault to beat a certain time limit. This so-called test was worse then having to climb up a rope in the gym in order to ring a bell.

 _'Cause I'm breaking out  
I'm breaking down, down, down, down_

Carlos stopped near the middle of the monkey bars. He could feel his grip on the bar slip but he held on for dear life.

 _Ain't got nothing to prove  
Walk a mile in my shoes_

Ben held Mal exactly as Gia had shown him but it looked awkward. It _felt_ awkward. He might have been a king and he might have tried to show Mal how to do the waltz but there was one thing he hadn't considered. Maybe they were both had left feet. Sure, his parents had their 'tale as old as time' but Belle had known how to dance. She had had to show Beast how do it.

Mal on the other hand, wasn't sure where which hand was supposed to go where.

" _Take Ben's hand and extend your arm out."_ Gia instructed. Mal did as she was told. "Good. Now place your other hand on his shoulder."Mal did that too. "Excellent. Ben, pull Mal in just a little bit closer." Ben did he was told but it made him utterly uncomfortable, especially with Gia watching and telling them what to do. "Now do those steps again."

Ben took one step left. Mal followed his lead. He then stepped backwards. Mal followed. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two…

"Ow!" Ben yelped as Mal stepped on his toes again.

Gia face palmed herself.

 _I know the one thing that counts_

 _I got the right_

Evie sat in her Fashion Design class with Flora standing at her shoulder watching her sketch out a final part of her latest design. Evil Queen's daughter looked up at her teacher expectantly. Flora smiled at her student, nodded her approval and patted Evie on the shoulder with Evie's smile widening.

 _To make up my mind  
Say it loud and clear_

Doug sat playing his Trumpet in the bleachers of the Tourney field with the rest of the Marching Band. It was on of those rare practice sessions where the Band Master had decided that practice would be more effective outdoors.

The Band Master clapped his hands in approval and Doug lowered his trumpet from his mouth, a small smile forming.

 _For the whole wide world to hear  
We're marching for love_

Ben and Mal tried their dance again only for Ben to yelp when Mal stepped on his toes.

Gia sighed and face palmed herself.

Mal whimpered as ben comforted her and told her that he was okay.

Gia sighed. "Let's try this AGAIN."

 _So turn up the drum  
Say it loud and clear  
For the whole wide world to hear_

Evie sat on the bleachers watching the cheerleading squad, her design sketchbook sat in her lap. She was glad that she had left the squad when she had. She remembered all the looks that Audrey would give her whenever she tweaked her cheer uniform. She knew Audrey had been jealous because the rest of the cheer squad would fawn over her skills in design.

Pursing her lips, she looked down at the cover before flipping to the next available page and started to draw. She had an idea that she wanted to get down before she forgot it.

 _Yeah, we must have different shoes on_

Gia demonstrated a few Latin dance steps to see if Mal could follow her lead.

It was a little bit awkward as Mal tried to follow her step for step.

Gia shook her head and showed Mal how to do the steps again.

 _We're marching to a different beat_

Doug stomped his feet in time with the other members of the band. They were rehearsing for a school presentation at the town hall in town. This presentation was like a precursor for future Aurdon Prep students. The presentation was to show the parents and future students what Auradon Prep had on offer. A select few pre-existing students had been selected to talk at the presentation.

In years past, the presentation would have been done at the school but there had been a shift since Mal and her friends had become students. Fairy Godmother had decided that it would be best if the parents and future students not interact with the VKs until they actually enrolled.

Despite the entirety of Auradon knowing that the VKs were allowed in Auradon, the school board had decided that it would be best to keep the VKs out of the parents' decisions to enrol their children at the school. It was essential that no civil war of words were started among the parents with the VK students that they spoke to.

 _Yeah!  
So baby put your boots on  
Keep marching to a different beat_

Carlos looked up at the monkey bars that hung above his head. He jumped up and grabbed a bar. He swung himself from one end to the other. By the time he reached the end, he was a little bit tired but he fought the urge to drop down to the ground. Instead, he swung himself back the way he had come and did it over again and again while he felt his arms were about to drop off his body. _  
_ _  
Yeah_

 _I got my head up_

Mal stood in front of the long mirror as Evie did the finishing touches to the outfit that they had worked on together.

 _Shoulders back_

Evie tapped Mal on the shoulder and Maleficent's daughter's shoulders rolled back into place.

 _I'm doing me_

Evie finished smoothing out the folds in the dress while Mal stood staring at herself in the mirror. She turned left and right, examining the outfit from different angles.

 _So they can see_

In the mirror, Evie grinned, on the verge of tears. "My work is complete."

Evie didn't even notice the sympathetic look on Mal's face.

 _I'm marching to a different beat  
I take a look in the mirror_

Ben and Gia poked their heads into the room to see how the friends were going.

 _And I like what I see_

The royal duo stepped quietly into the room, closing the door behind them as they entered the room.

 _So baby, I keep marching_

Mal and Evie turned and received an approving look from the pair. They smiled and nodded in return.

"Eat your heart out Queen Leah." Mal grinned proudly.

Her friends laughed.

 _To a different beat_

Carlos shot around the running track, leaving both Ben and Jay in the dust. He was propelling himself to run speeds that could almost defy gravity.

Gia clicked the stop button on the stopwatch in her hand. Carlos stopped in his sprint when he reached her.

About half way around the track, Ben and Jay had both stopped, their hands on their knees as they caught their breath.

"How'd I do?" Carlos asked. He didn't even seem to be nervous.

Gia said nothing as she turned the watch around so its face was facing him. She watched as the face of Cruella's son lit up.

"I-I did it." Carlos said as he looked at the stopwatch time.

Ben and Jay appeared next to him. They both clapped him on the back.

"You did it, bro." Jay said with a smile.

Ben looked at Gia and grinned and nodded.

 _I got the right  
To make up my mind _

Ben and Mal swept around the ballroom while Gia observed them from the sidelines, her arms folded across her chest. The couple stopped spinning.

"How was that?" Mal asked, almost too nervous to ask.

"MUCH better." Gia said approvingly.

Ben and Mal smiled at her before smiling at each other.

 _Say it loud and clear_

Ben and Gia stood on the sidelines of the Athletics track as they watched Jay and Carlos race around the track. Their hair flew everywhere as the former villainous pair flew pass them.

 _For the whole wide world to hear  
We're marching so loud  
So turn up the drum_

The Marching Band's drummer drummed a set on his snare drum as Ben stood watching as Jay walked through a few plays with Coach Jenkins.

The drummer's drumstick slipped from his finger and it hit Ben in the hair. The young king yelped and placed his hand on his head. He gave the drummer a look that told him he wasn't happy about being hit in the head.

"Sorry, Ben." The drummer apologised with an awkward shrug.

 _Say it loud and clear  
For the whole wide world to hear_

Mal was standing on her bed spinning in a circle, the skirt of her dress spun with her.

Evie nodded. "Good to see that the material is tear resistant."

Mal gave her an odd look by said nothing.

 _Yeah, we must have different shoes on  
We're marching to a different beat_

Gia showed Ben and Mal her dance steps again and they copied her. It surprised her that they had copied her step for step without any mistakes. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead, approvingly.

 _I'm marching to a different beat  
So baby put your boots on_

"Five minutes." Said Delay as he checked the clock on the wall.

The students in the room scrambled to finish their exams.

Ben and Evie's pens scrawled across the last pages of their English exams.

 _Keep marching to a different beat_

The students cheered as the final bell rang, indicating that the exams were over.

 _Yeah_

* * *

Mal and Ben collapsed on the floor of the stone gazebo.

"I am just glad exams are over." Mal groaned in relief.

Ben groaned in response. "I don't think my hand has ever been so cramped in my life. It's going to take a month to get the feeling back."

Mal laughed. "I know my brain is relieved. I must have spent every night sitting up until god knows when studying with Evie."

"I can't say that I'm surprised," Ben said as he turned his head to look at her. "You, Evie, Jay and Carlos have worked so hard to get where you have."

Mal could feel her stomach turn over. She wasn't sure what the feeling was she was feeling. She wasn't sure if it was happiness from the praise that Ben was giving her or whether it was the guilt of having said anything at all. Perhaps it was something to do with the relief of exams finally being over.

She looked over to see that Ben had taken her hand. She issued him a thankful smile before she resumed looking up at the sky.

* * *

Gia sat in her office in Castle Beast going over last minute paperwork that Ben had thrust upon her just an hour before. He had 'told her' that the work needed to be done by 8:45pm that evening and that he virtually had no time to do it as his schoolwork came first.

It was now 4:45pm.

With a sigh, it had taken Gia a good half hour to sort through the files and to catalogue the files correctly before she started to thoroughly read through them. After about an hour: 5.45pm, about half the pile of paperwork had been signed and moved to the other side of the desk as a sign that they have been completed.

 _Knock! Knock!_

"Come in." Gia called, not looking up from her work.

"Gia, my darling," Belle said as she slid into the room and quietly closed the door. "How is Ben's work treating you?"

Gia groaned and rested her head on the desk. "Don't ask."

Belle sat down opposite her daughter. "That bad, hey?"

Gia groaned again. "I don't get it, Belle," she said she lifted her head to look at her adoptive mother. "Why did he push all of his work onto me?"

"You're currently his heir," Belle said casually as if it were no big deal. "If something happens to him, you become queen. He wants you to learn."

"I'm the _Lady_ of Auradon," Gia said as if the words hurt her to say. "I know the responsibility better then anyone else. Including him. I don't think he wants me to simply 'learn'. I know the role of monarch better then what he does."

Belle looked at Gia before she reached across the desk and patted her hand. "I know you don't like having to play second fiddle to Ben but you are his Major Domo, my darling."

Gia sighed. "I know. I have always loved wading on his hand and foot, but some times I think this is all too much. If you and Adam hadn't of allowed my birth mother to live here and give birth to me in Auradon then I would have had to be raised by a man who has virtually respect for women, other then the way that they look." Gia bowed her head.

"Gia, look at me."

Gia looked up into Belle's eyes and saw something that she never seen before: Determination and willingness to prove a point.

It was no secret that Belle was a fierce woman who knew how to stand up for not just herself but for others as well. It was well known that Belle had argued with Beast that her friend Vera, Gia's birth mother, had been seduced by Gaston and should not have been held accountable for having his child.

Beast had been all too willing to send Vera to live on the Isle of the Lost but Belle had threatened to divorce him if he didn't give her friend a chance to give her then-unborn child a happy childhood. He had believed that having any offspring of his and Belle's arch nemesis would be disastrous for the then-recently united Auradon. Turned out he had been dead wrong.

In the years since he and Belle had been given custody of Gia upon her mother death when she was six months old, he had watched as his young ward had blossomed into one of its key aspects.

Gia had bought about a whole new definition when it came to being a next generation 'hero'. Despite her villainous paternal bloodline, Gia had the heart and soul of a hero. If she were asked about it, she would simply shrug and say it was the way her adoptive parents had raised her. In a lot of ways, she had been correct. Belle and Beast had raised her in the way Vera would have wanted. She served as a mentor to her own generation as she had been one of the first offspring to be born within the ranks of the original heroes and villainous counterparts.

Belle and Beast had been very surprised at how Gia had turned out. She had inherited her mother's determination as well as her fierceness while she had unfortunately had inherited her father's love of the colour red as well as his charismatic personality. However, her version of charisma was very different to that of Gaston's.

Gia had only ever used her charisma to do good and that included in diplomatic situations while Gaston had only used his skill of charisma to charm and seduce women into his bed.

" _You are not Gaston, Gia."_

Gia blinked out of her daze. "Huh? What was that about Gaston?"

"I said that you are not Gaston," Belle repeated. "You have a good heart and you deserve to be happy. Beast and I love you so much and I hope you understand that." Belle patted her hand.

Nodding, Gia swallowed. "I-I know," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you, Beast and Ben so much. I don't care that Gaston is my father. He only sired me. That's all. As far I am concerned, Beast is my father. You are my mother. Ben is my brother. I have never thought otherwise."

Belle pressed her lips together. She was touched by what her daughter was telling her.

Still holding her mother's hand, Gia rose from her chair. "I think I owe Benny an apology and a heart-to-heart chat, don't you?"

Belle smiled proudly. "I think you might be right."

* * *

 _To be Continued..._

 _Next up, our favourite descendants bid junior year farewell, Chad and Audrey run into trouble ahead of preparing for their senior year and Gia learns a secret about Gaston that not even Belle and Adam knew about him._


End file.
